N.S. reports six new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday

Nova Scotia reported sixnew cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the active number of cases to 159.

Three of the new cases are in the central zone, including two that are related to travel and one that is under investigation.

Two cases are in the northern zone, both of which are close contacts of previously reported cases.

One case is in the eastern zone and is related to travel.

The number of new cases is a dramatic drop from Tuesday, when 66 new cases were reported, and from Monday, when 73cases were reported over the weekend.

During a news briefing on Tuesday, Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia'schief medical officer of health, announced that there has been an outbreak of COVID-19 in the northern zone.Sixty-one of Tuesday's 66 new cases were in the northern zone, and 59 of them were close contacts of previously reported cases.

Strang saidthe outbreak wasin a tightly knitcommunity of largely unvaccinated people, with more than 100 cases total. He said most have mild to moderate symptoms and there have been three hospitalizations.

Strangdeclined to give more details, sayinghe did not want to stigmatizethe community. He said they havebeen co-operative with public health officials and arelimiting contact with the surrounding community and there's no indication of spread beyond the specific group.

Nearly 73% of Nova Scotians are fully vaccinated

Four people are in hospital with COVID-19, and none of them are inintensive care.

As of Wednesday, 72.9 per cent of Nova Scotians are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Labs in the province finished processing 4,010COVID-19 tests on Tuesday.

The province announced in a news release Wednesday that starting today, it will share the number of cases involving kids aged 12 and under. Previously, that age group was reported as part of a category that encompassed all people under the age of 20.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

• New Brunswickreported 63cases on Wednesday. The province has 244active cases and 11 people in hospital, eight in intensive care.
• Prince Edward Islandreported fivenew COVID-19 cases Wednesday. It has 27 active cases.
• Newfoundland and Labradorreported 10new cases Wednesday. The province has 49active cases.