Nova Scotia reports record-setting 485 new COVID-19 cases Monday

Nova Scotia is reporting 485 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, breaking yet another daily case count record.

It is the 11th day in a row the province has announced more than 100 new infections.

Despite the continued rise, the latest daily count is not a major jump: the province announced 476 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. 

There are 317 cases in central zone, 57 cases in eastern zone, 36 cases in northern zone and 75 cases in western zone, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Wellness. 

Over the weekend, the province announced a total of 902 new cases.

Nine people are now in hospital with the virus, including two in intensive care.

Outbreak at Halifax long-term care home

Nova Scotia also reported an outbreak at Parkstone Enhanced Care in Clayton Park.

An employee of the long-term care centre tested positive on Friday, according to the clinical care director for Shannex, which operates Parkstone.

Lisa Snodgrass said the employee worked on a unit with 24 residents, all of whom were then tested for COVID-19. One resident tested positive.

Neither the resident nor the employee are in hospital. 

The residents in the affected section of Parkstone are expected to be in isolation for two weeks. During that time, they can't have any visitors or designated supported people, but they will be seen by staff, she said. 

It's unclear whether the resident contracted the virus from the employee or vice versa, but Snodgrass said that both Shannex and Public Health are trying to get that answer through contact tracing. 

"We may never know, truthfully, how it did get in the building, but it's important to do that contact tracing to see if there is any indication of transmission within the facility," said Snodgrass.

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All staff and residents at the care home are fully vaccinated, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Wellness. Eligible residents have also had their booster shot. 

Staff working in the area of the outbreak are now required to do a rapid test at the beginning of each shift.

Premier Tim Houston and Dr. Robert Strang, the province's chief medical officer of health, are expected to provide a COVID-19 update on Tuesday at 2 p.m. AT, which will be live streamed at cbc.ca/ns.

In light of the jump in cases, the province implemented tighter restrictions on gatherings and businesses Friday. Some bars and restaurants report having to endure staffing challenges with some of them closing due to employees testing positive. 

The QEII Health Sciences Centre said Friday it would be postponing some non-urgent surgeries beginning Monday. 

Test result delays

Nova Scotia Health said there has been a "significant increase" in testing demand.

The heath agency's labs have been completing thousands of tests daily, including 9,198 on Sunday.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, the authority said test results normally take 48 to 72 hours and urged members of the public not to book a second COVID-19 test before receiving the results of a first test.

Booking an additional test, it said, adds to the delays in getting results. 

It said it was aware the delays can be stressful for people awaiting results but it is processing thousands of tests a day. Nova Scotia Health is urging members of the public to be patient. 

Most testing across the province is by appointment only at the moment and can be booked here. There are also several rapid testing pop-up sites this week. Some people reported long lineups waiting for rapid testing including at the Hammonds Plains Community Centre location on Monday that caused traffic backups on Hammonds Plains Road.

Nova Scotia Health is also offering several vaccine drop-in clinics across the province this week.

The province added 24 more school exposures since Friday:

• Evangeline Middle School in New Minas
• Northeast Kings Education Centre in Canning
• McCulloch Education Centre in Pictou
• New Glasgow Academy in New Glasgow
• North Nova Education Centre in New Glasgow
• West Pictou Consolidated School in Pictou
• École acadienne de Pomquet in Pompuet
• Ash Lee Jefferson Elementary in Fall River
• Bedford South School in Bedford
• Brookside Junior High in Hatchet Lake
• George Bissett Elementary in Dartmouth
• Hammonds Plains Consolidated in Hammonds Plains
• Madeline Symonds Middle School in Hammonds Plains
• Millwood High School in Middle Sackville
• Oxford School in Halifax
• O'Connell Drive Elementary in Porters Lake 
• Portland Estates Elementary in Dartmouth
• Rocky Lake Junior High in Bedford
• Sackville High in Lower Sackville
• St Josephs Alexander McKay Elementary in Halifax
• St Margarets Bay Elementary in Head of St Margarets Bay
• Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School in Antigonish
• Saint Andrew Junior School in Antigonish
• Tamarac Education Centre in Port Hawkesbury

The province maintains a list of school exposures here.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

• New Brunswick reported 118 new cases on Monday for 1,269 active cases. There are 42 people in hospital with 17 in intensive care.
• Newfoundland and Labrador reported 38 new cases on Sunday, with no one in hospital related to the virus.
• Prince Edward Island reported 21 new cases on Monday for 89 active cases.