60 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 in N.S., including a child under the age of 5

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says, as of Wednesday, there are 60 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including a child under the age of five. 

Of those in hospital:

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  five are in intensive care;
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  the average age is 66; and
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  58 were admitted during the Omicron variant wave.

Houston says 25 per cent of those in hospital are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Two additional deaths related to the virus were also reported on Wednesday. No other details have been provided from the province at this time.

To date, there have been 117 deaths in Nova Scotia related to COVID-19.

SCHOOL UPDATE

Houston says students will be returning to in-person learning on Monday, Jan. 17 as planned.

He also says the ventilation systems ordered for 71 schools arrived on Monday and have been distributed to classrooms across the province.

Approximately 25,000 COVID-19 rapid tests will also be distributed to nearly 400 schools based on their enrollment.

“Those tests will be available based on a need for testing,” said Houston. “So, primarily for students and staff who come to school symptomatic or develop symptoms while at school.”

According to Houston, three-layer masks will be made available for students and teachers upon their return.

BOOSTER UPDATE

On Tuesday, Houston says 17,104 COVID-19 booster doses were administered into the arms of Nova Scotians – a single-day record for the province.

At the height of the vaccine rollout in 2021, Houston says Nova Scotia was administering about 12,000 shots per day.

As of Wednesday, 49.6 per cent of eligible Nova Scotians have either received their booster shot or have their appointment booked.

RAPID TEST UPDATE

Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health, says he has heard from many people who are confused and even angry in regards to the changes to Nova Scotia’s testing strategy.

Strang explained that the province is still experiencing supply issues with rapid tests, which he says is being experienced in provinces across the country.

Strang says as of Wednesday, there are just over one-million rapid tests in Nova Scotia.

He says that’s why the province has changed its strategy to better focus on the following areas:

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  Testing centres for people who have symptoms or have been identified as a close contact
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  Outbreak testing, for ex. at long-term care facilities
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  At workplaces where employees support vulnerable populations that are greater risk of severe outcome, like long-term care homes, correctional facilities and shelters
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  Schools for children and staff
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  Community distribution centres for areas that have a surge in cases

“Rapid tests were once readily available for most Nova Scotians but now you need an appointment to get a rapid test and not everyone will be eligible to get one,” said Strang. “This is the reality of dealing with limited supply.”

According to Houston, Nova Scotia goes through about 830,000 rapid tests per week.

COVID ALERT APP

Canada’s COVID Alert app is available in Nova Scotia.

The app, which can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play, notifies users if they may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

LIST OF SYMPTOMS

Anyone who experiences a new or worsening cough, or who has two or more of the following symptoms, needs to self-isolate and take an online COVID-19 self-assessment test, or call 811, to determine if they need to be tested for COVID-19:

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  fever (chills, sweats)
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  sore throat
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  headache
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  shortness of breath
• 
  runny nose/nasal congestion

This is a developing story and will be updated to include more daily COVID-19 once it becomes available.