Two New Hospital Admissions, No Discharges, Three Deaths

Today, February 22, Nova Scotia is reporting two new hospital admissions and no discharges.

Nova Scotia is also reporting three deaths related to COVID-19:

• a man in his 60s in Central Zone
• a woman in her 70s in Central Zone
• a man in his 90s in Northern Zone.

“I extend my deepest sympathies to the families and friends grieving,” said Premier Tim Houston. “This never gets any easier. COVID-19 has taken a toll on us, but Nova Scotians are strong. Please continue to work together and follow the public health advice as we lift restrictions and start learning to live with COVID-19.”

There are 53 people in hospital who were admitted due to COVID-19 and are receiving specialized care in a COVID-19 designated unit. That includes 12 people in ICU. The age range of those in hospital is two to 93 years old. The median age is 65, and the median length of stay of people admitted to hospital due to COVID-19 is 6.5 days.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the three people who passed away,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. “It is important everyone recognizes Nova Scotia continues to see new cases of COVID-19. Please continue to be vigilant for the virus. Our actions protect ourselves and each other.”

Of the 53 people in hospital, 50 were admitted during the Omicron wave.

The vaccination status of those in hospital is:

• 14 (26.4 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine
• 22 (41.5 per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses)
• 1 (1.9 per cent) is partially vaccinated
• 16 (30.2 per cent) are unvaccinated.

It is important to note that less than 10 per cent of Nova Scotians are unvaccinated.

There are also two other groups of people in hospital related to COVID-19:

• 128 people who were identified as positive upon arrival at hospital but were admitted for another medical reason, or were admitted for COVID-19 but no longer require specialized care
• 171 people who contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital.

Vaccine Coverage:

As of February 21, 2,203,968 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 92.1 per cent of Nova Scotians have received their first dose, and 86.4 per cent have received their second dose.

As well, 61.6 per cent of Nova Scotians 18 and older have received a booster dose, and 0.9 per cent have booked a booster dose appointment.

Cases and Testing:

Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) labs completed 1,117 tests on February 20 and 1,152 tests on February 21. An additional 263 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported since the last update on February 20.

There are 103 cases in Central Zone, 47 cases in Eastern Zone, 54 cases in Northern Zone and 59 cases in Western Zone.

From February 19 and 20, eight of the 414 positive lab results were repeat positives.

As of today, there are an estimated 1,858 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.

Hospital Outbreaks:

NSHA is reporting a new outbreak in a ward at Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital. Fewer than 10 patients have tested positive.

NSHA is also reporting additional cases related to the outbreaks in four hospitals:

• four additional patients in a ward at Sutherland Harris Memorial Hospital in Pictou; fewer than 10 patients have tested positive
• one additional patient in a ward at Cape Breton Regional Hospital; 10 patients have now tested positive
• one additional patient in a separate ward at Cape Breton Regional Hospital; fewer than 10 patients have tested positive
• one additional patient in a ward at Hants Community Hospital in Windsor; fewer than 10 patients have now tested positive.

Quick Facts:

• a state of emergency was declared under the Emergency Management Act on March 22, 2020, and has been extended to March 6, 2022

Additional Resources:

More information on COVID-19 case data, testing and vaccines is available at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/data/

Nova Scotians can find accurate, up-to-date information on the Province’s response to COVID-19 at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus

Information on current provincewide restrictions and other public health measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 is available at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/restrictions-and-guidance/

Information on Nova Scotia’s three-phase reopening plan, which started February 14, is available at: https://novascotia.ca/reopening-plan/

Information about public health text notifications of positive COVID-19 cases and close contacts is available here: https://www.nshealth.ca/news/public-health-notifying-positive-covid-19-cases-text-advising-notify-close-contacts

Government of Canada: https://canada.ca/coronavirus or 1-833-784-4397 (toll-free)