COVID-19 hospitalizations on the rise across Atlantic Canada

All four provinces across Atlantic Canada are reporting an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations as experts warna seventh wave of the pandemic is rolling across the region.

On Thursday, Nova Scotia reported 44 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19 symptoms from July 12 to 18. That is double the number hospitalized just two weeks ago.

On Tuesday, P.E.I reported its highest number of hospitalizations since the pandemic began. A record41 people are in hospital with COVID-19, including one in ICU.

In New Brunswick, the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions has doubled in the past week.Thirty people were newly admitted to hospital because of the virus between July 10 and July 16, up from 15 the previous week.

Newfoundland and Labrador has also seen a surgein hospital admissions, according to the latest figures released Wednesday.The province'sChief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald has said she expectsan increase in hospitalizations as the Omicron subvariant BA.5 circulates around the globe.

Nova Scotia reports 7 new deaths

Nova Scotia is reporting sevenCOVID-19 deaths and a daily average of 268 lab-confirmed cases in its latest update to the provincial dashboard.

The figures are from a seven-day period from July 12to July 18.

There were a total of 1,877positive PCR tests,an increase of 20 per centfrom last week. That number does not include positive rapid test results.

Since March 2020, there have been 463COVID-19 deaths in Nova Scotia. About three-quarters of those deaths happened during the Omicron wave, which began Dec. 8, 2021.

While 44 Nova Scotians were hospitalized in the week leading up to July 18, Nova Scotia Health says as of July 21, 39 people are currently in hospital due to COVID-19, with sixin intensive care.

Another 109people currently have COVID-19 but are in hospital for another reason, according to the health authority. A further 48people contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital.

The total number of Nova Scotia Health staff off sick or isolating due to COVID-19 is at an eight-week high. There are 354health-care employees off work across the province.