COVID-19 hospitalizations on the rise across Atlantic Canada
On Thursday, Nova Scotia reported 44 people in hospital, double the number from two weeks ago
All four provinces across Atlantic Canada are reporting an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations as experts warn a seventh wave of the pandemic is rolling across the region.
On Thursday, Nova Scotia reported 44 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19 symptoms from July 12 to 18. That is double the number hospitalized just two weeks ago.
On Tuesday, P.E.I reported its highest number of hospitalizations since the pandemic began. A record 41 people are in hospital with COVID-19, including one in ICU.
In New Brunswick, the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions has doubled in the past week. Thirty people were newly admitted to hospital because of the virus between July 10 and July 16, up from 15 the previous week.
Newfoundland and Labrador has also seen a surge in hospital admissions, according to the latest figures released Wednesday. The province's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald has said she expects an increase in hospitalizations as the Omicron subvariant BA.5 circulates around the globe.
Nova Scotia reports 7 new deaths
Nova Scotia is reporting seven COVID-19 deaths and a daily average of 268 lab-confirmed cases in its latest update to the provincial dashboard.
The figures are from a seven-day period from July 12 to July 18.
There were a total of 1,877 positive PCR tests, an increase of 20 per cent from last week. That number does not include positive rapid test results.
Since March 2020, there have been 463 COVID-19 deaths in Nova Scotia. About three-quarters of those deaths happened during the Omicron wave, which began Dec. 8, 2021.
While 44 Nova Scotians were hospitalized in the week leading up to July 18, Nova Scotia Health says as of July 21, 39 people are currently in hospital due to COVID-19, with six in intensive care.
Another 109 people currently have COVID-19 but are in hospital for another reason, according to the health authority. A further 48 people contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital.
The total number of Nova Scotia Health staff off sick or isolating due to COVID-19 is at an eight-week high. There are 354 health-care employees off work across the province.
