**** Health  / Wellness Media Release

No New Cases of COVID-19

As of today, Aug. 13, Nova Scotia has no active cases of COVID-19. No new cases were identified on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 509 Nova Scotia tests on Aug. 12 and is operating 24-hours.

To date, Nova Scotia has 67,310 negative test results, 1,071 positive COVID-19 cases and 64 deaths. There is currently no one in hospital as a result of COVID-19. Cases range in age from under 10 to over 90. One thousand and seven cases are now resolved. Cases have been identified in all parts of the province. Cumulative cases by zone may change as data is updated in Panorama.

If you have any one of the following symptoms, visit http://811.novascotia.ca to determine if you should call 811 for further assessment:

• fever (i.e. chills, sweats)
• cough or worsening of a previous cough
• sore throat
• headache
• shortness of breath
• muscle aches
• sneezing
• nasal congestion/runny nose
• hoarse voice
• diarrhea
• unusual fatigue
• loss of sense of smell or taste
• red, purple or blueish lesions on the feet, toes or fingers without clear cause

When a new case of COVID-19 is confirmed, public health works to identify and test people who may have come in close contact with that person. Those individuals who have been confirmed are being directed to self-isolate at home, away from the public, for 14 days.

Anyone who has travelled outside of Atlantic Canada must self-isolate for 14 days. As always, any Nova Scotian who develops symptoms of acute respiratory illness should limit their contact with others until they feel better.

It remains important for Nova Scotians to strictly adhere to the public health order and directives – practise good hand washing and other hygiene steps, maintain a physical distance when and where required. Wearing a non-medical mask is mandatory in most indoor public places.

As of July 3, interprovincial travel within Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, without the requirement to self-isolate for permanent Atlantic Canadian residents, is permitted. All public health directives of each province must be followed. Under Nova Scotia’s Health Protection Act order, visitors from other Canadian provinces and territories must self-isolate for 14 days. Other visitors from outside the Atlantic provinces who have self-isolated for 14 days in another Atlantic province may travel to Nova Scotia without self-isolating again.

Nova Scotians can find accurate, up-to-date information, handwashing posters and fact sheets at http://novascotia.ca/coronavirus .

Businesses and other organizations can find information to help them safely reopen at http://novascotia.ca/reopening-nova-scotia .