COVID-19 Weekly Data Report, New Epidemiologic Summary Available

This week’s COVID-19 epidemiologic report shows a continued increase in positive lab tests as a result of the highly infectious and transmissible Omicron and BA.2 variants. Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are also increasing. However, the risk of severe illness continues to be lower than in previous waves.

“COVID-19 is circulating in all communities across the province but given Nova Scotia has a highly vaccinated population, the number of hospitalizations and deaths as a proportion of total positive tests remains low,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. “We need to remember this pandemic is not over – the most effective strategy to minimize your risk and the risk to others includes masking, small and consistent social circles and gatherings, staying home when you’re sick, and practicing good cough etiquette and hand hygiene.”

For the one-week period ending April 6:

• there were 6,991 positive PCR tests performed at the lab
• there were 61 new hospital admissions due to COVID-19 and 32 discharges
• as of April 6, there were 57 people in hospital for COVID-19, with a median age of 72
• of the current hospitalizations, 15.8 per cent of people are unvaccinated or have had one dose of vaccine
• there were eight COVID-19 deaths reported in Panorama, public health’s disease information system, during this period
• the median age of COVID-19 reported deaths since the start of the Omicron wave (December 8, 2021) is 79, and 27.2 per cent of people were unvaccinated or had one dose of vaccine
• as of April 6, 87.5 per cent of Nova Scotians had two or more doses of COVID-19 vaccine, 4.9 per cent had one dose, and 7.6 per cent were unvaccinated.

The weekly COVID-19 epidemiologic summary prepared for Dr. Strang and his team to inform the province’s response to the pandemic is available to the public. The report tracks weekly trends and is focused on monitoring for severe outcomes in key populations. It will be posted weekly on the government’s coronavirus website.

This week’s report can be found here: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/docs/COVID-19-epidemiologic-summary_2022-04-06.pdf

The COVID-19 dashboard, active since January 2021, will be updated weekly until the end of April, at which point it will be archived.

Additional Resources:

COVID-19 dashboard: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/204d6ed723244dfbb763ca3f913c5cad

Book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment: https://novascotia.flow.canimmunize.ca/en/9874123-19-7418965

For information on testing, including where to get a rapid testing kit: https://www.nshealth.ca/coronavirustesting

Government of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html