COVID-19: N.S. reports 12 new cases, small outbreak at hospital in Kentville

Nova Scotia reported 12 new cases of COVID-19 and a small outbreak at Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) said three patients in a non-COVID unit have tested positive for COVID-19.

NSHA said two of the three cases are asymptomatic. One person is in intensive care.

“As a precaution, NSHA is testing other patients and staff identified as close contacts. NSHA will provide a further update when more information is available,” the province said in a release.

1:45 Nova Scotia says outbreak at hospital in Kentville limited so far

COVID-19 cases in schools

Three schools have closed in HRM due to COVID-19 exposures.

“If COVID-19 is in our communities, it’s in our schools,” said Premier Tim Houston during a briefing Tuesday.

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Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said the closures at Joseph Howe Elementary, École Mer et Monde in Halifax, and the Dartmouth South Academy were “unavoidable.”

“We are going to expect seeing cases in hospitals and schools,” said Strang.

“Our good vaccination rates and other layers of protection we have in place will limit the spread even if COVID-19 enters the facility,” he added.

As of Tuesday, about 77 per cent of Nova Scotians are fully vaccinated.

2:04 More schools closed in Halifax area due to rising COVID-19 cases

Strang said there’s limited spread of the virus in schools and that the three school in the Halifax area closed “as a short term measure.”

Out of the 170 public schools in the province, about 44, or 10 per cent, have had at least one case.

Of those 44 schools, only 11 have required increased public health measures and only four — which is one per cent of the province’s total number of schools in Nova Scotia — had to close in order to prevent further spread.

New cases

Nova Scotia said the majority of the 12 new cases are in the Central Zone.

According to the province, there are eight cases in Central Zone and four cases in Western Zone.

There is a community spread in Central Zone, primarily among people aged 20 to 40 who are unvaccinated and participating in social activities.

As of Tuesday, Nova Scotia has 187 active cases of COVID-19. Of those, 14 people are in hospital, including four in ICU.

NSHA’s labs completed 2,152 tests the day before.

As of Monday, 1,550,362 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 749,078 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

Since Aug. 1, there have been 1,265 positive COVID-19 cases and four deaths. There are 1,074 resolved cases.