COVID-19: 86 new cases in Nova Scotia, the lowest number since April

Nova Scotia reported 86 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, the lowest number of single-day cases the province has seen since the end of April.

The province also reported more than 100 new recoveries since Friday, and the number of active cases has dropped to 1,509.

“I’m pleased to see that our new case number is a double-digit figure for the first time in more than two weeks,” said Premier Iain Rankin in a release.

“Thanks to the sacrifices of Nova Scotians, we’re seeing hopeful signs of a downward trend. However, we must stick with the restrictions and public health measures to stop the spread while we continue to vaccinate more and more Nova Scotians.”

Sixty-six of the new cases are in the province’s central zone, 11 are in the eastern zone, four are in the western zone and five are in the northern zone.

One of the new cases in the central zone is a staff member at The Ivy Meadows, a long-term care facility in Beaver Bank.

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“At the direction of public health and as an added precaution, residents and staff from the affected unit are being tested,” the release said. “Most residents have been fully vaccinated with two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.”

The number of hospitalizations has continued to climb, with 96 people now in hospital including 23 in intensive care. The median age for hospitalizations is 55 for non-ICU and 58 for ICU during the third wave.

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The province has confirmed community spread in the central health zone. The other three health zones continue to be closely monitored for community spread, but there are “areas of concern” in Sydney, Bridgewater and the Annapolis Valley from New Minas to Kentville. As a result, the province has increased COVID-19 testing in those areas.

Nova Scotia Health labs completed 10,272 tests on Friday.

“Today’s new case number shows that things are heading in the right direction, and the hard work we’re doing is helping to slow the spread,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, in the release.

“We all must continue to follow the public health protocols to bring those numbers down and be in a position to start re-opening in June.”

So far, the province has had a total of 4,610 positive cases and 3,030 recoveries. A total of 72 people who tested positive for the virus have died.