Nova Scotia reports 5 new COVID-19 cases, 2 at universities

Nova Scotia reportedfive new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, including a studentat Acadia University in Wolfville and another at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Both cases are related to travel outside Atlantic Canada.

The Acadia student, who lives on campus, has been self-isolating, according to a memo posted on the school's website late Sunday.

"The student has not experienced symptoms, and we are grateful to them for following health advice for testing and quarantine," the memo said.

The Dalhousie student lives off campus and is also self-isolating, as required.

"We thank the student for seeking testing and wish them a speedy recovery," Verity Turpin, acting vice-provost of student affairs, said in a memo emailed to staff and students on Monday.

There have nowbeen five casesidentified atNova Scotia universitiesthis month as students return from winter break.

On Friday, the province urgedpost-secondary students who returnedto Nova Scotia from outside the Atlantic provinces to book a COVID-19 test on the sixth, seventh or eighth day of their isolation, whether they have symptoms or not.

Any students experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 must complete aself-assessmentonline or call 811. Studentswill still be required to finish their isolation period even with a negative result.

A secondCOVID-19 case was reported in the central region on Monday. It'salso related to travel outside Atlantic Canada.

The two remaining casesare in the northern health zone. One case is related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada, and the other is a close contact of a previously reported case.

Vaccinations begin outside Halifax

A Cape Breton nurse received the Pfizer-BioNTechCOVID-19 vaccineon Monday, marking the first immunization outside the Halifax region.

The province also started vaccinating long-term care residents, starting at Northwood's Halifax and Bedford locations.

"Our vaccine rollout takes another important step today with the first clinic at a long-term care facility Northwood's Halifax campus and one at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital," Premier Stephen McNeilsaid in a news release.

"Our health-care professionals are working hard to distribute the vaccine as quickly as possible. We can support them by being patient and continuing to follow all the public health measures that help us contain the virus."

Vaccinations using the Pfizer vaccine will start to be administered in the province's western health zone on Tuesday at the Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville.

A government spokesperson told CBC News that phase 1 vaccinations in the western health zone will be limited to health-care workers and designated caregivers at long-term care homes.

Nova Scotia's first long-term care resident gets COVID vaccine

4 years ago

Duration 1:00

Ann Hicks was "absolutely delighted" to be the first Northwood resident immunized against COVID-19 on Monday. The executive director for Northwood's long-term care program, Josie Ryan, says all residents at the Halifax facility should be vaccinated this week.

On Sunday, the province reported no new cases of COVID-19, marking the first such day in two months.

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, said it was"good news, but it is not an indication that COVID-19 is no longer a risk."

"It is up to all of us to follow the public health measures to make sure we limit the spread of the virus," he said in a news release.

As of Monday, there were 26 known active cases in the province. No one wasin hospital with COVID-19.

Nova Scotia Health Authority's labs completed 2,193tests on Sunday.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

The latest COVID-19 numbers from the Atlantic provinces are:

• New Brunswickreported 21new cases on Monday with 204active cases.Every zone of the province has been rolled back to orange-phase restrictions to deal with the growing number of cases.
• Newfoundland and Labradorreported no new cases on Monday. There are five active cases in the province, with one person in hospital.
• P.E.I.had one new case and eight active cases as of last Thursday.