Coronavirus: Nova Scotia sees record spike in cases, all identified in central zone

Nova Scotia identified 43 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday, bringing the province’s total to over 500.

This is the biggest one-day spike in cases Nova Scotia has seen so far.

All 43 cases were identified in the central zone. There are no new cases in the northern, western or eastern zones.

The total breakdown of where cases have been identified in Nova Scotia is as follows:

• Central zone: 397
• Western zone: 46
• Eastern zone: 40
• Northern zone: 34

The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 1,476 Nova Scotia tests on Monday. To date, Nova Scotia has 16,755 negative test results.

There are now 10 patients in hospital, with four in an intensive care unit. There were nine in hospital on Monday.

Forty-seven per cent of cases involve male patients and 53 per cent involve female patients.

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Travel has been removed as a screening requirement to get a COVID-19 test. Now, if you have two or more of the following symptoms, you’re able to get a COVID-19 test.

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

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil and chief public health officer Dr. Robert Strang will be holding a press briefing Tuesday at 3 p.m.

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.

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