COVID-19 cases steady in Nova Scotia: report

Nova Scotia reports no new deaths related to COVID-19 in the most recent reporting period.

However, the province’s weekly report on Thursday included three COVID-19 deaths from previous reporting periods.

To date, the province has reported 673 deaths related to the virus.

As of December 2021, the median age of a person who has died from the virus in Nova Scotia is 83.

Data in Thursday’s online report covers the period December 6-12.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

The number of new hospital admissions rose from 32 to 36 in this week’s report.

According to Nova Scotia Health:

• As of Thursday, 29 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19, an increase of four patients since the health agency’s update last week.

• Five people are being treated in intensive care.

• The median age of a person hospitalized with COVID-19 in Nova Scotia is 73.

• As of Thursday, there were another 122 people hospitalized who were admitted for something other than COVID-19 but have tested positive for the virus.

• 34 patients are hospitalized who contracted COVID-19 after admission.

According to the report, 166 Nova Scotia Health employees who either tested positive for COVID-19, were awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test, or were exposed to a member of their household who tested positive were out of work as of Thursday.

NEW CASES

Nova Scotia is reporting 515 new PCR-confirmed cases of COVID-19, up slightly from 509 cases reported in its last weekly update.

VACCINATION

To date, 82 percent of Nova Scotians have received two or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, 3.3 percent have had one dose, and 14.7 percent have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

This week’s full COVID-19 data report is available online.

MONTHLY REPORT

According to the provincial government’s monthly COVID-19 summary, the province reports a decrease in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths for the month of November compared to October.

Health officials said 24 people died from COVID-19 in November, compared to 27 people in October.

Of the 24 deceased, 23 were aged 70 or older and six were living in a long-term care facility.

In November, Nova Scotia reported a total of 2,571 PCR-COVID-19 cases — a significant decrease from the 4,769 cases recorded in October.

According to health officials, the province recorded 158 hospitalizations for COVID-19 in November – a decrease of 76 people compared to 234 hospitalizations in October.

The province says Nova Scotians aged 70 and older are 18.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those aged 18 to 49. Their death rate is also 261 times higher than that of people under the age of 50.

Unvaccinated Nova Scotians were hospitalized and were three times more likely to die than those with three or more doses of COVID-19 vaccine.