After two days of alarmingly high case numbers in Nova Scotia, the province reported just six new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Three of the cases are in the Central Zone. Two are related to travel and one is under investigation.
Two are in the Northern Zone — both close contacts of previously reported cases.
And the last case is in the Eastern Zone and is related to travel.
With 20 new recoveries, the number of active cases has dropped to 159, which includes four people in hospital.
According to the provincial COVID-19 dashboard, 79 per cent of all Nova Scotians have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 72.9 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Testing numbers have also jumped, with 4,010 tests completed on Tuesday — the highest number of tests in more than a month.
Recent spike in cases
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The province was supposed to enter Phase 5 of its reopening plan on Wednesday, but officials announced the day before that it would be delayed due to a recent spike in cases.
On Monday, the province reported 73 new cases from over the weekend, and 66 in one day on Tuesday.
Health officials say there are signs of community spread in the Central Zone and a large cluster of cases among a group of mostly unvaccinated people in the Northern Zone.
The new goal date for Phase 5 is Oct. 4, which coincides with the beginning of the province’s proof of full vaccination policy for certain events and activities.
New data
As of Wednesday, the province has updated its COVID-19 dashboard to include the total number of cases by age group for people aged 12 and under and those aged 13 to 19. People under the age of 12 are not yet eligible for the vaccine.
According to the dashboard, out of the total of 6,260 reported cases throughout the pandemic, those 12 and under made up 794 — or just over 12 per cent. That’s the group with the third-highest number of reported cases, despite having one of the smallest age ranges.
The 20 to 39 age group has had the most infections by far, making up 2,448 of the total cases reported. The 40 to 59 age group has the second-most, with 1,554 cases, and the 60 to 79 age group had 721.
Those aged 13 to 19 had 517 cases, and those aged 80 and over had 236.