COVID-19 levels rising in N.S. this summer, but same precautions apply, says province

The number of COVID cases in Nova Scotia has more than doubled over the past month, according to the province's latest COVID-19 update.

In the Respiratory Watch covering the period from July 21 to Aug. 24, the province reported 746 new cases of COVID-19. That's up significantly from the 362 cases reported between June 24 and July 20.

There were 21 outbreaks at long-term care facilities in the most recent period, up 300 per cent from the previous report, when there were only seven. According to the province, an outbreak is declared at any place with two or more connected cases.

In the 2023-24 reporting period from Aug. 27, 2023, to Aug. 24, 2024, there were 969 total non-ICU hospitalizations due to the virus, up from the 900 documented in the last reporting period. ICU admissions were up slightly to 104, from 98 in the previous period.

Four more people, meanwhile, were reported to have died from COVID-19 since the last monthly update, bringing the total number of deaths for the 2023-24 reporting period to 245. 

'This is how we live with COVID-19 now'

Overall, the numbers represent higher levels of COVID-19 than in the spring, but Jennifer Cram, the province's regional medical officer of health for the western zone, said they're not entirely unexpected. 

"This is how we live with COVID-19 now," Cram said in an interview with Information Morning Nova Scotia earlier this week, before the latest numbers were made available.  

"We are going to see circulation likely 12 months of the year, more at different times."

Cram said that unlike other respiratory illnesses like influenza, which is at its peak in the fall and winter, there is no distinct period when COVID-19 is especially prevalent.

Instead, she said, it "ebbs and flows" but one silver lining is that the virus has evolved to become less damaging over time, even though it can still have serious complications, especially for those in high-risk groups.

"This is a virus that's shown us that over and over and over again it's going to continue to evolve, but fortunately, it doesn't seem to be getting more severe and that's good news," Cram said.

As back-to-school season begins, she said it will be important for people to use common sense by staying at home or keeping their child home if they're sick, masking if not feeling well, and making sure to get the latest vaccinations as they become available. 

It's just as important, she said, for children to receive the latest vaccines for influenza and for whooping cough, which has recently been on the rise in some areas of Canada, though at this point not in Nova Scotia.

"We really need to take all of these different infectious respiratory illnesses seriously," said Cram.

In an emailed statement Friday, the province's Department of Health and Wellness said new vaccines for COVID-19 and influenza will be available in October.

"There has been an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations compared to the spring, however, levels remain lower than they were … during the peak of respiratory season in Fall 2023," said the department.

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