More Nova Scotians eligible for booster vaccines; 40 new COVID-19 cases reported Friday

Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting 40 new COVID-19 cases and 31 recoveries on Friday, as the number of active cases rises to 220.

• Twenty-one new cases were identified in the province's Central zone.
• Eleven new cases were identified in the province's Western zone.
• Eight new cases were identified in the province's Northern zone.

“The increased case numbers are from several clusters of cases, primarily in the Northern and Western zones, related to several faith groups that participated recently in a single, multi-day event,” said Dr. Robert Strang during Friday’s news update. “The majority of the cases involved remain unvaccinated. Fortunately, at this time, there is no indication of spread beyond these faith communities."

 Public Health says it is closely monitoring all four health zones for community spread.

N.S. TO OFFER BOOSTER DOSES BY END OF NOVEMBER

Nova Scotia plans to begin administering COVID-19 booster doses to more eligible groups by the end of this month.

During Friday’s news update, Strang announced that the province will accept all five recommendations announced by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) on Oct. 29.

Those recommendations include offering boosters to people with a higher risk of serious COVID-19 illness or decreased protection since vaccination.

“As we prepare to offer booster doses, our first priority will continue to be encouraging people who have one or no doses of COVID vaccine to get vaccinated,” said Strang. “Boosters may provide an added level of protection, but the best way to reduce the spread of the virus is to ensure that everyone has at least two doses of vaccine.”

Groups who will now be eligible for a booster dose in Nova Scotia include:

• anyone 80 and older, followed by anyone ages 70 to 79
• adult frontline healthcare workers who were double vaccinated with an interval of less than 28 days between their first and second doses
• people who received two doses of the AstraZeneca Vaxzevria/COVISHIELD vaccine or one dose of Janssen vaccine

The province says they are also engaging with Indigenous and African Nova Scotian communities on the best way to offer booster doses in those communities.

Nova Scotia has previously made booster doses available for moderately to severely immunocompromised people, people living in long-term care and people who are required to travel for work to a country that does not recognize a mixed vaccine series.

NACI recommends that booster doses be offered at least six months after the primary series is completed.

The province says planning for the booster doses is underway, and updates to the vaccine booking system are being made. More information will be announced once booking for booster doses opens.

NACI also recommended last month that the optimal interval between first and second doses is eight weeks. Nova Scotians can still schedule their second dose as early as 28 days after the first but are encouraged to follow the NACI recommendation and wait eight weeks for their second dose.

EXPOSURE NOTICE FOR TWO SCHOOLS

Health officials also sent exposure notices for two schools in the province on Thursday.

The latest school exposures are at Charles P. Allen High in Bedford and Burton Ettinger Elementary in Halifax.

“It is important to note that an exposure associated with a school does not mean there is spread within the school or that the initial case was first exposed to the virus in the school. As always, all staff, parents and guardians are notified of exposures if a positive case (student, teacher or staff) was at the school while infectious,” said N.S. Health in a release.

A list of schools with exposures is available online.

COVID-19 CASE DATA

Nova Scotia Health Authority's labs completed 3,204 tests on Thursday. A total of 1,328,408 COVID-19 tests have been processed since the start of the pandemic.

There were 28,608 rapid tests administered between Oct. 29 and Nov. 4. This includes 1,488 rapid tests at the pop-up sites in Halifax, Dartmouth, Amherst and Kentville and 27,120 through the workplace screening program. Another 8,661 home rapid tests were distributed at the pop-up sites.

According to the province's online COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 7,550 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia. Of those, 7,229 people have recovered and 101 have died due to COVID-19.

There are currently nine people in hospital in Nova Scotia due to COVID-19, with one person in an intensive care unit.

Since Aug. 1, there have been 1,654 positive COVID-19 cases and six deaths. Of the new cases since Aug. 1, 1,427 are now considered resolved.

There are cases confirmed across the province, but most have been identified in the Central zone, which contains the Halifax Regional Municipality.

The provincial government says cumulative cases by zone may change as data is updated in Panorama, the province’s electronic information system.

The numbers reflect where a person lives and not where their sample was collected.

• Western zone: 479 cases (53 active cases)
• Central zone: 5,743 cases (107 active cases)
• Northern zone: 624 cases (43 active cases)
• Eastern zone: 704 cases (17 active cases)

BREAKTHROUGH DATA

Public Health reports 'breakthrough cases' weekly. A breakthrough case involves a person becoming COVID-19 positive at least two weeks after receiving either one or two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the province there have been 110 cases of COVID-19 from Oct. 28 to Nov. 3. Of those:

• 34 (30.9 per cent) were fully vaccinated
• 7 (6.4 per cent) were partially vaccinated
• 69 (62.7 per cent) were unvaccinated

There have been 5,833 cases from March 15 to Nov. 3. Of those:

• 406 (7.0 per cent) were fully vaccinated
• 371 (6.3 per cent) were partially vaccinated
• 5,056 (86.7 per cent) were unvaccinated

There were 308 people hospitalized. Of those:

• 14 (4.5 per cent) were fully vaccinated
• 31 (10.1 per cent) were partially vaccinated
• 263 (85.4 per cent) were unvaccinated

Thirty-five people died. Of those:

• 4 (11.4 per cent) were fully vaccinated
• 3 (8.6 per cent) were partially vaccinated
• 28 (80.0 per cent) were unvaccinated

VACCINE UPDATE

The province's COVID-19 online dashboard provides an update on the number of vaccines that have been administered to date.

As of Thursday, 1,581,328 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 766,001 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

In total, 83.3 per cent of the province's overall population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 78.8 per cent of Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

The province says it has received a total of 1,661,340 doses of COVID-19 vaccine since Dec. 15, 2020.

All Nova Scotians are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as they are eligible. COVID-19 vaccination appointments can be made online or by phone at 1-833-797-7772.

LIST OF SYMPTOMS

Anyone who experiences a fever or new or worsening cough, or two or more of the following new or worsening symptoms, is encouraged to take an online test or call 811 to determine if they need to be tested for COVID-19:

• Sore throat
• Headache
• Shortness of breath
• Runny nose/nasal congestion