**** HEALTH/WELLNESS Media Release
Three New Hospital Admissions, Five Discharges, Seven Deaths
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Today, February 14, Nova Scotia is reporting three new hospital admissions and five discharges.
Nova Scotia is also reporting seven deaths related to COVID-19, all in Western Zone:
— a man in his 60s
— two men and a woman in their 70s
— a woman and man in their 80s
— a man in his 90s.
“This is another very sad weekend. Seven more Nova Scotians lost their lives because of this virus, and I offer my deepest condolences to their families and friends as they navigate through this extremely difficult time,” said Premier Tim Houston. “Every person we lose is a reminder that COVID-19 persists as a threat in our communities. It hurts me to know that seven more families are grieving the loss of a loved one before their time.”
There are 68 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 nine to 93 years old. The median age is 66, and the median length of stay of people admitted to hospital due to COVID-19 is six days.
Of the 68 people in hospital, 65 were admitted during the Omicron wave.
“I offer my thoughts and prayers to the families and friends grieving the loss of a loved one today,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. “The best way to protect yourself and those around you is to get vaccinated whether it’s your first, second or third dose.”
The vaccination status of those in hospital is:
— 18 (26.5 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine
— 23 (33.8 per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses)
— 1 (1.5 per cent) is partially vaccinated
— 26 (38.2 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:
— 132 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
— 156 people who contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital.
Vaccine Coverage:
As of February 13, 2,182,582 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 91.6 per cent of Nova Scotians have received their first dose, and 85.6 per cent have received their second dose.
As well, 60.2 per cent of Nova Scotians 18 and older have received a booster dose, and 1.9 per cent have booked a booster dose appointment.
Cases and Testing:
On February 13, Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) labs completed 1,554 tests. An additional 158 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported.
There are 57 cases in Central Zone, 39 cases in Eastern Zone, 31 cases in Northern Zone and 31 cases in Western Zone.
From February 12 and 13, 15 of the 552 positive lab results were repeat positives.
As of today, there are an estimated 2,661 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.
Hospital Outbreaks:
NSHA is reporting new outbreaks in a ward at three hospitals:
— Cape Breton Regional Hospital; fewer than 10 patients have tested positive
— Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville; fewer than five patients have tested positive
— St. Mary’s Memorial Hospital in Sherbrooke; fewer than five patients have tested positive.
NSHA is also reporting additional cases related to the outbreaks in three hospitals:
— seven additional patients in a ward at Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre in Amherst; fewer than 10 patients have tested positive
— three additional patients in a ward at Hants Community Hospital in Windsor; fewer than 10 patients have tested positive
— one additional patient in a separate ward at Cape Breton Regional Hospital; fewer than five patients have tested positive.
Quick Facts:
— a state of emergency was declared under the Emergency Management Act on March 22, 2020, and has been extended to February 20, 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 today, 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)
