6 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Nova Scotia

Six new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Nova Scotia Thursday, bringing the number of active cases in the province to 32.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority's labs completed 2,096 tests on Wednesday.

"We know how easily the virus can spread when we let our guard down," Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, said in a release.

"Let's keep up our efforts and ensure we continue to follow the public health measures — wear a mask, limit social contacts, maintain physical distance, wash our hands and stay home if feeling unwell."

Three of the cases are in the northern health zone and are close contacts of previously reported cases. 

New case involves Dalhousie student

The other three are in the central zone.

One is a close contact of a previously reported case, and the other two are related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada and are both self-isolating. One of them is a student at Dalhousie University who is living off-campus.

Eight other cases of COVID-19 have been identified at Nova Scotia universities so far this month.

The province is urging students who have returned from outside of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland or P.E.I. to book a COVID-19 test on the sixth, seventh or eighth day of their quarantine, regardless of whether they have symptoms.

Any students experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 must complete a self-assessment online or call 811. Students still must complete their 14-day isolation period even with a negative test result.

There is a mobile health unit in Truro , N.S., on Thursday in response to an increase in the number of potential exposures in the area in the last week.

Drop-in testing will be available at the NSCC Truro Campus from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to a press release from Nova Scotia Health.

Testing will also be available on Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Seven new potential exposure locations were announced in the Truro area on Tuesday, and another on Wednesday. A full list of exposures in the province can be found here.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

• New Brunswick reported 23 new cases on Thursday and 246 active cases. The province also reported two deaths on Tuesday and another on Wednesday, bringing the total to 12 since the start of the pandemic. Every zone of the province has been rolled back to orange-phase restrictions to deal with the growing number of cases.
• Newfoundland and Labrador reported one new case on Thursday, with four active cases. One person is in hospital with the disease.
• P.E.I. reported one new case on Thursday. The province has eight active cases. The new case is a man in his 50s who travelled outside the region. He first tested negative but later tested positive.

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