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COVID-19: N.S. reports 12 new cases on eve of first phase of provincial reopening

Click to play video: 'Nova Scotia releases its five-phased approach to reopening province'
Nova Scotia releases its five-phased approach to reopening province
Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin announced Monday that schools in Sydney in HRM have been deemed safe to open this week by Public Health and that students can return to classes as early as this Thursday – May 28, 2021

Nova Scotia reported 12 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday as the province prepares to begin its first phase of its reopening plan.

“I’m pleased to see our cases trending downward and Nova Scotians should be proud of their efforts,” said Premier Iain Rankin in a release.

“But just because we are seeing fewer cases does not mean we can disregard the public health measures. We are in a good position as we enter Phase 1 of our reopening plan tomorrow. Let’s continue do our part by following the public health protocols and getting tested for COVID-19.”

Nova Scotia Health labs completed 3,576 tests on Monday. There are currently 38 people in hospital, including 15 in intensive care.

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Eight of the new cases are in the central health zone. Six are close contacts of previously reported cases and two are under investigation.

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There are also three new cases in the eastern health zone, which includes two related to a previous case and one under investigation.

And one new case in the northern zone is a close contact of a previously reported case, the release said.

With 91 new recoveries since Monday, the number of active cases in the province has plummeted to 369.

As of May 30, the province has administered 583,873 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Of those, 43,463 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

Reopening plan

The first phase of the province’s reopening plan is set to begin Wednesday, with students returning to in-person learning in most areas that day. In the Halifax and Sydney regions, students are returning to school on Thursday.

Restaurant patios will also be able to reopen and the outdoor gathering limit will be increased to 10.

Under the reopening plan, more restrictions will be lifted with every new phase, which will last two to four weeks each.

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As of Tuesday, travel to other communities within Nova Scotia is now allowed, the province announced on Monday, though people are encouraged to keep their activities outside.

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