**** HEALTH/WELLNESS Media Release
18 New Hospital Admissions, 11 Discharges, Three Deaths
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Today, January 20, Nova Scotia is reporting 18 new hospital admissions and 11 discharges.
Nova Scotia is also reporting three deaths related to COVID-19:
— a woman in her 50s in Central Zone
— a woman in her 70s in Northern Zone
— a man in his 70s in Eastern Zone.
“This virus has taken three more Nova Scotians, and I’m devasted for the families and friends they are leaving behind,” said Premier Tim Houston. “Everyone needs to take the Omicron wave seriously and work together to protect our most vulnerable Nova Scotians, our healthcare system and communities.”
There are 85 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 0-100 years old. The average age is 68 and the average length of stay of people admitted to hospital due to COVID-19 is 6.8 days.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the three people who passed away,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. “The Omicron wave is different than those we encountered over the last two years, but there is no question that the virus is having very severe impacts on some people. Please do your part to prevent another loss. Follow restrictions and get your vaccine – whether it’s your first, second or booster dose.”
Of the 85 people in hospital, 81 were admitted during the Omicron wave.
The vaccination status of those in hospital is:
— 10 (11.8 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine
— 53 (62.4 per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses)
— 4 (4.7 per cent) are partially vaccinated
— 18 (21.2 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:
— 72 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
— 112 people who contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital.
Vaccine Coverage:
As of January 19, 1,998,064 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 90.7 per cent of Nova Scotians have received their first dose, and 83.2 per cent have received their second dose.
As well, 40.6 per cent of Nova Scotians 18 and older have received a booster dose and 9.8 per cent have booked a booster dose appointment.
Cases and Testing:
On January 19, Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) labs completed 4,402 tests. An additional 696 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported.
There are 382 cases in Central Zone, 95 cases in Eastern Zone, 63 cases in Northern Zone and 156 cases in Western Zone.
As of today, there are an estimated 5,430 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.
Hospital and Long-Term Care Outbreaks:
The NSHA is reporting additional cases related to the outbreaks in two hospitals:
— three additional patients in a ward at Cape Breton Regional Hospital; fewer than 10 patients have tested positive
— one additional patient in a ward at Valley Regional Hospital; fewer than 10 patients have tested positive.
The Province is reporting one outbreak in a long-term care facility: one staff and one resident at Taigh Na Mara in Glace Bay.
Public health is working with the facilities to prevent further spread. Increased public health measures and restrictions are in place.
Quick Facts:
— a state of emergency was declared under the Emergency Management Act on March 22, 2020, and has been extended to January 23, 2022
Additional Resources:
Nova Scotians can find accurate, up-to-date information, handwashing posters and fact sheets at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus
Information on provincewide restrictions that took effect December 22 and other public health measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 is available at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/restrictions-and-guidance/
More information on COVID-19 case data, testing and vaccines is available at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/data/
More 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)
