Nova Scotia reports 44 new cases of COVID-19, highest single-day total in a year

The province says they continue to be in the early signs of community spread in the central zone as it reports 44 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday— the highest single-day total seen since April 23, 2020.

The province now has 150 active cases, which is the most active cases since early December. Four Nova Scotians are in hospital.

There is no community spread detected in the eastern, northern or western zones, the province said.

READ MORE: Province issues ‘almost a full lockdown’ on Halifax region as case count skyrockets

Seven of the B.1.1.7. variant of COVID-19, first discovered in the U.K., have also been identified. There have been 73 cases of the B.1.1.7. variant, 12 cases of the B.1.351 variant, first discovered in South Africa, and one case of the P.1 variant, first detected in Brazil, identified in Nova Scotia.

New restrictions were put in place on Friday in the Halifax area, as well as Hubbards, Milford, Lantz, Elmsdale, Enfield, South Uniacke, Ecum Secum and Trafalgar, to try and lower the high number count.

The full list of restrictions can be found here.

Rankin said on Thursday  the province was implementing an almost full lockdown and it would be in place for the next four weeks.

44 new cases

The province said 33 cases of the 44 announced on Friday are in the central zone, five of which were identified Thursday at Dartmouth South Academy in Dartmouth, Ross Road School in Westphal, Holland Road Elementary in Fletchers Lake, St. Catherine’s Elementary in Halifax and St. Joseph’s-Alexander McKay Elementary in Halifax.

Five cases are in the eastern zone, four cases are in the western zone and two are in the northern zone.

According to the province, one of the cases is a staff member at The Ivy Meadows, a long-term care facility in Beaver Bank.

Since April 18, there has been 13 COVID-19 cases connected to a school.

READ MORE: Nova Scotia reporting five more COVID-19 cases at schools in Central Zone

Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 5,956 Nova Scotia tests on April 22.

There were 6,520 tests administered between April 16 and 22 at the rapid-testing pop-up sites in Halifax and Sackville.

As of April 22, 260,788 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 34,493 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

Since Oct. 1, Nova Scotia said it has completed 364,314 tests. There have been 849 positive COVID-19 cases and two deaths.

There are 697 resolved cases.

Temporary reduction of surgeries 

Teams at Dartmouth General Hospital and the QEII Health Sciences Centre announced Friday evening that they are working to reduce non-urgent surgery volumes by up to 25 per cent over the next couple of weeks.

Nova Scotia Health said in a statement that “this is necessary to build capacity (beds, staff) in anticipation of increased COVID-19 admissions, the potential for staffing to be impacted by community exposures, and to allow staff to be redeployed for COVID units and testing centres.”

Surgeons’ offices will be notifying patients whose surgeries must be temporarily postponed and will try to provide as much advanced notice as possible.

On a typical day approximately 100 patients have surgery at these facilities, the NSHA said.

Suspension of in-person court proceedings 

The Chief Judge of the Provincial and Family Courts announced Friday it’s suspending all in-person court proceedings in HRM for a four-week period, starting Monday, April 26 due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

This applies to the Provincial Courts in Halifax and Dartmouth only.

2:02 HRM schools close to manage COVID-19 outbreaks

In-person proceedings in Provincial Courts outside HRM will proceed as scheduled, unless the presiding judge orders otherwise, according to a statement released by the courts.

In-person appearances in Halifax and Dartmouth that were scheduled between April 26 and May 21 will be adjourned and rescheduled.

-With files from Alex Cooke