**** HEALTH/WELLNESS Media Release
Thirty-four New Cases of COVID-19
—————————————————————There will be no COVID-19 media briefings today, April 10, Saturday, April 11 or Sunday, April 12.
Government will continue to issue news releases on new cases each day.
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As of today, April 10, Nova Scotia has 407 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Thirty-four new cases were identified Thursday, April 9.
The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 915 Nova Scotia tests on Thursday, April 9 and is operating 24-hours.
“We have removed travel from the screening criteria for COVID-19 and increased our lab capacity so that we’re now processing close to a thousand tests every day,” said Premier Stephen McNeil. “That means we are finding more cases, including those with mild symptoms. I want to thank our lab and all the staff who are working around the clock to catch cases of COVID-19 and helping to keep all Nova Scotians safe from this disease.”
While most cases in Nova Scotia have been connected to travel or a known case, there is now community spread. That is why travel has been removed as a requirement for testing for COVID-19.
The list of symptoms being screened for has also expanded. 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
“I want to stress to all Nova Scotians, remain vigilant, follow the public health measures, practice good hygiene, stay home as much as possible, and monitor your health,” said Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health. “If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, don’t delay. Please go to the 811 website to see if you should call 811 for further assessment.”
To date, Nova Scotia has 13,014 negative test results, 407 positive COVID-19 test results and two deaths. Confirmed cases range in age from under ten to over 90. Eight individuals are currently in hospital, four of those in ICU. Ninety-three 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 is now more important than ever for Nova Scotians to strictly adhere to the public health orders and directives – practise good hygiene, maintain a physical distance of two metres or six feet from others, limit essential gatherings to no more than five people and stay at home as much as possible.
Nova Scotians can find accurate, up-to-date information, handwashing posters and fact sheets at http://novascotia.ca/coronavirus .
Quick Facts:
— testing numbers are updated daily at http://novascotia.ca/coronavirus
— a state of emergency was declared under the Emergency Management Act on March 22 and extended to April 19
— there are 22 primary assessment centres in Nova Scotia: 21 operated by Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) and one operated by the IWK Health Centre, temporary primary assessment centres are operating in two communities
— two mobile assessment centres are being established by NSHA to do community-based testing; Emergency Health Services operates two field assessment units, one in Halifax Regional Municipality and one in Cape Breton Regional Municipality
Additional Resources:
Government of Canada: http://canada.ca/coronavirus
Government of Canada toll-free information line 1-833-784-4397
The Mental Health Provincial Crisis Line is available 24/7 to anyone experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis, or someone concerned about them, by calling 1-888-429-8167 (toll free)
Kids Help Phone is available 24/7, by calling 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free)
