Nova Scotia reports 126 cases of COVID-19 Sunday

Nova Scotia reported 126 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday — a significant increase over Saturday's 86 new cases.

There are 92 people in hospital with the virus, including 21 in intensive care.

The province did not record any new deaths on Sunday. 

The majority of new cases, 106, were in the central health zone. The western and eastern zones each reported nine new cases and there were two cases in the northern zone. 

A news release from the province said a 10th patient in a non-COVID unit of the Halifax Infirmary has tested positive for COVID-19. The person has been discharged and is recovering at home, according to the release. 

The release said all other patients in the unit have tested negative for the virus and are being monitored. Doctors and staff who work in the unit are being tested. 

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, urged Nova Scotians to "stay the course" to keep numbers down.

"We knew we would have some ups and downs as we worked to get this outbreak under control," he said in a release.

Nova Scotia Health labs completed 6,660 tests on Saturday. 

There are 1,531 known active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Sunday's report listed 103 recoveries.

Halifax Shipyard reopening

The Halifax Shipyard is scheduled to resume operations on Monday starting with the day shift, according to a news release from Irving Shipbuilding on Sunday.

Operations at the shipyard were suspended on Thursday after after a positive COVID-19 test from someone connected to its second Arctic and offshore patrol ship.

Sunday's release said employees at the shipyard will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test result from the previous seven days before being allowed entry to the facility. 

Enforcement of restrictions

Police in Nova Scotia continued to enforce COVID-19 restrictions over the weekend. 

Halifax police made five arrests and laid charges at separate gatherings in the city on Saturday. 

According to a news release, police issued 21 tickets in total under the Health Protection Act and the Emergency Management Act for two events. 

One of the events was a motorcade billed as a "Free Palestine COVID safe car rally" that started near Saint Mary's University in the city's south end. The other was a small protest against COVID-19 restrictions held on Citadel Hill in defiance of a court injunction. 

Increase in testing, vaccinations

Sunday's release said there are clusters of cases in Sydney, Bridgewater, and the Annapolis Valley from New Minas to Kentville that are "of concern." 

Broad testing will be available in those communities to determine if there are cases in those communities Public Health has not identified.

As of Thursday, 415,570 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 38,830 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

On Friday it was announced that vaccination appointments have been opened to people 35 to 39.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

• New Brunswick reported 11 new cases on Sunday. There are now 116 active cases. Eleven people are hospital, including three in intensive care.
• Newfoundland and Labrador reported nine new cases on Sunday for a total of 85 active cases. One person is in hospital.
• P.E.I. reported one new case on Saturday. The new case is an individual in their 20s who is a close contact of a previously announced case related to a child-care centre. The province has 10 active cases.