**** HEALTH/WELLNESS Media Release

Nova Scotia Reports One More Death, One New Case of COVID-19

Today, May 20, Nova Scotia is reporting one additional death related to COVID-19, bringing the total to 57. The death occurred at the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax Regional Municipality.

As of today, Nova Scotia has 1,045 confirmed cases of COVID-19. One new case was identified Tuesday, May 19.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 353 Nova Scotia tests on May 19 and is operating 24-hours.

There are two licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia with active cases of COVID-19. Northwood in Halifax currently has 19 residents and three staff with active cases. One other facility has one resident with an active case.

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

• fever
• new or worsening cough
• sore throat
• runny nose
• headache

To date, Nova Scotia has 36,656 negative test results, 1,045 positive COVID-19 test results and 57 deaths. Confirmed cases range in age from under 10 to over 90. Eight individuals are currently in hospital, four of those in ICU. Nine-hundred and fifty-six individuals have now recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved. Cases have been identified in all parts of the province. A map and graphic presentation of the case data is available at http://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/data .

Public health is working to identify and test people who may have come in close contact with the confirmed cases. 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 Nova Scotia 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 of two metres or six feet from those not in your household or immediate family bubble and limit planned social gatherings of people outside your household or immediate family bubble to no more than five.

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