Nova Scotia reports 4 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday

Nova Scotia reported 4 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. There are now 12 active cases in the province. 

A news release from the province said two of the new cases are in the central health zone and two are in the eastern health zone. The cases are all close contacts of previously reported cases.

Premier Stephen McNeil said the virus is still present in the province and Nova Scotia will continue to keep measures in place to control its spread, according to the release.

"That's why we are being cautious, keeping restrictions in place and encouraging everyone to continue following all of the public health protocols," he said.

Nova Scotia labs completed 1,516 tests on Tuesday.

Man fined for not wearing mask

A man was fined $1,000 on Tuesday for not wearing a mask in the lobby of a Halifax building.

A news release Wednesday from the Halifax Regional Police said they were called to an apartment building where a man was seen not wearing a mask while approaching people in the lobby.

He was cautioned and told about provincial regulations on mask wearing in public spaces. Officers received a second call, returned to the building, and found him engaging in the same behaviour.  

He was issued a summary offence ticket of $1,000 for violating 71(1b) of the Health Protection Act.

Strang warns against complacency

The incident comes a day after Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, warned people not to become complacent because of the low numbers of new COVID-19 cases in the province. 

"We are still in the middle of the second wave," he said at a news conference on Tuesday. "There is the emergence of warring new variant strains, and our vaccine supply remains uncertain."

During the news conference, Strang outlined a three-month plan for prioritizing vaccinations amid supply constraints. He said the province was focusing on vaccinating front-line health-care workers and those directly involved in the COVID-19 response.

Strang said 90 per cent of COVID-19 deaths are people over 80 years old and people in this group would also be a top priority.

He said an additional seven long-term care facilities across the province will have vaccines to start their immunization programs this Thursday.

Pfizer-BioNTech announced on Jan. 19 that there would be no new shipments of the vaccine to Canada this week as they were pausing production in Belgium to increase long-term capacity.

Strang said planning the COVID-19 vaccine rollout beyond two-week blocks is challenging because the vaccine supply is "fragile" and "ultimately out of our control."

As of Tuesday, 12,286 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the province, including 2,709 second doses.

Premier Stephen McNeil said the province is continuing to reserve second doses of COVID-19 vaccine until a continuous supply can be guaranteed.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

• Newfoundland and Labrador reported two new cases Wednesday. The province has five active cases and one person is in hospital with the virus.
• New Brunswick reported 14 new cases on Wednesday for a total of 327 active cases. Six people are being treated in hospital, two in intensive care. The province also announced two more deaths related to the virus — bringing the death toll to 16.
• P.E.I. reported zero new cases on Tuesday. The province had six active cases.