**** HEALTH/WELLNESS Media Release
COVID-19 Weekly Data Report for June 2, 2022
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Nova Scotia is reporting 1,563 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, 41 hospitalizations and nine deaths during the seven-day period ending May 30. The number of new PCR-positive tests and hospitalizations is similar to last week.
“We have learned so much about COVID-19 – how the virus is spread, who is at highest risk of severe outcomes, and the personal actions we can take to protect ourselves, our loved ones and each other,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. “Virus activity has slowed over the last several weeks, but it hasn’t stopped. COVID-19 is here to stay, so we need to continue to keep each other safe.”
People 70 years of age and older continue to be at highest risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19. Since the start of the Omicron waves December 8, 2021, the median age of hospitalizations is 71, and the median age of people who have died is 81. All of the COVID-19 deaths reported this week were people 70 years of age or older.
The data show that the risk of hospitalization is nearly 11 times higher for people 70 and older and the risk of death about 115 times higher when compared to those under 50. Vaccine-related immunity wanes much more quickly in people 70 and older, which is why a second booster dose was recommended this spring. Most adults under 70 are still well protected by their two-dose primary series plus one booster.
To date, 65.7 per cent of Nova Scotians 18 and older have received at least one booster dose, and 64,934 people have received a second.
The weekly COVID-19 epidemiologic summary is prepared for the Chief Medical Officer of Health and his team to inform public health’s management of the pandemic. It tracks weekly trends and is focused on monitoring for severe outcomes in key populations. The full report is available here: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/alerts-notices/#epidemiologic-summaries
Additional Resources:
COVID-19 public dashboard: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/204d6ed723244dfbb763ca3f913c5cad
Report a positive COVID-19 test to be linked to public health support, including virtual care and treatment for those who are eligible: https://c19hc.nshealth.ca/self-report/
Government of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
