COVID-19: Active case count in N.S. reaches 125 as daily numbers grow

Nova Scotia reported 73 new cases of COVID-19 and 24 new recoveries since the last update on Sept. 10.

With 24 new recoveries, the active case count has reached 125. Four people are in hospital in COVID-19 units.

“We knew we’d get cases in the fourth wave and, like elsewhere, it’s among people who are not vaccinated,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, in a release.

“This highlights the importance of getting the vaccine. It’s the best line of defence against COVID-19.”

The new cases include 32 reported on Saturday, 29 new cases on Sunday and 12 new cases on Monday.

Of the new cases, 36 are in the Northern Zone. Thirty-two of those are close contacts of previously reported cases, three are related to travel and one is under investigation.

“There is a large cluster of linked cases in a defined group in Northern Zone,” the release said. “Most of the group is unvaccinated, so more cases are expected.”

The Central Zone, meanwhile, has 31 new cases, with 11 under investigation. Another 11 are close contacts of previously reported cases and nine are related to travel.

The release said there are signs of community spread in the Central Zone among those aged 20 to 40, “who are unvaccinated and participating in social activities.”

Four cases are in the Eastern Zone, where three are related to travel and one is under investigation.

And there are two new cases in the Western Zone. One is related to travel and the other is a close contact.

Nova Scotia Health labs completed 2,782 tests on Friday, 2,440 tests on Saturday and 2,352 on Sunday.

As of Sept. 12, 1,469,063 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 704,637 have received their second dose.

The province has had 4,446 positive COVID-19 cases since April 1, including 4,293 resolved cases and 28 deaths.