Nova Scotia is beginning 2022 by surpassing the 1,000 COVID-19 daily case count mark for the first time in the pandemic.
The province reported 1,184 new cases on Sunday.
There were 709 new cases recorded Saturday, New Year’s Day, bringing the weekend total to 1,893.
A department news release shows a test positivity rate of 16 per cent over the past two days, which is also a new record.
The overwhelming bulk of new infections was in Central Zone, which includes Halifax. Central Zone recorded 453 new cases on Saturday and 835 on Sunday.
“Because of a spike in testing and positive cases, public health is experiencing delays in follow-up,” the province noted in a news release.
“All cases should contact their close contacts. Public health is prioritizing contact tracing in long-term care, healthcare facilities, correctional facilities, shelters and other group settings.”
Nova Scotia Health recently indicated that it could now take 72 to 96 hours to receive PCR test results because of the high volume of tests.
In its last hospitalization update on Friday, the province said there were 34 people hospitalized due to COVID-19, with four of those patients in ICU.
Premier Tim Houston and Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, will provide a COVID-19 update by videoconference on Monday at 2 p.m.
— with a file from The Canadian Press