Nova Scotia reports 3 COVID-19 deaths Monday, 93 in designated hospital units

Nova Scotia reported three death related to COVID-19 on Monday.

The deaths included a man in his 70s in the central zone, a woman in her 70s in the western zone and a man in his 80s in the western zone.

A news release from the province said there were 93 people receiving care in designated COVID-19 units in hospital, including 15 in intensive care. 

The province said there were 10 admissions and nine discharges. The age range of those in hospital is one to 100 and the average age is 68. The average length of stay is 7.6 days. 

The vaccination status of those in hospital is:

• Eighteen (19.4 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine
• Fifty-four (58.1 per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses)
• One (1.1 per cent) is partially vaccinated
• Twenty (21.5 per cent) are unvaccinated.

Two other groups of people in hospital related to COVID-19 include 116 people who were identified as positive upon arrival at hospital but were admitted for another medical reason, or were admitted for COVID-19 but no longer require specialized care, and 142 people who contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital.

Nova Scotia's health authority did 1,721 tests Sunday and found 256 new cases of the virus. The central zone has 98 new cases, the eastern zone has 70, the northern zone has 35 and the western zone has 53. 

The province said there are about 3,913 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.

About nine per cent of Nova Scotians are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Currently, unvaccinated Nova Scotians are about 3.5 times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than someone with two doses of vaccine. That is based on average hospitalizations since the province started releasing the daily hospitalization numbers by vaccine status on Jan. 4.

About seven per cent of Nova Scotians, or roughly 72,000 people, are eligible to get the vaccine but haven't yet. Nova Scotia Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang has said this group is being "disproportionately impacted by Omicron," representing 30 per cent of COVID-19 deaths since Dec. 8, and 21 per cent of hospitalizations.  

Health employees off work

A news release from the health authority on Monday said 314 of its employees are off work because of testing positive for COVID-19, being exposed to a household member who tested positive or awaiting test results.

There were 162 workers off in the central zone, 56 in the eastern zone, 35 in the northern zone and 60 in the western zone. 

The number of employees off work this week is 190 fewer than the 504 employees reported off for the week of Jan. 24. 

Police investigating protest at mall 

New Glasgow Regional Police said late Sunday they are investigating after a group of people were allegedly running up and down the hallway of a shopping mall on Westville Road in protest of public health measures and COVID-19 mandates.

The protesters were not wearing masks, and when police arrived, the group dispersed. The investigation is ongoing.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

• Prince Edward Island reported 15 people in hospital Monday, with two in ICU.
• New Brunswick reported five deaths and 152 hospitalizations Monday, including 16 in ICU with seven people on a ventilator. 
• Newfoundland and Labrador reported two deaths 22 people in hospital Monday, including nine in the ICU.