Nova Scotia reports 2 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday

Nova Scotia reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, both connectedto travel.

One new case is in the central health zone and is related to international travel. The other case is in the eastern health zone and is related to travel outside Atlantic Canada.

Both peopleare self-isolating as required by public health guidelines.

The province now has 42 active cases of COVID-19.

Variant identified in 18 cases

Additionally, 18 cases of the variant first reported in the U.K. have been identified in previously confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.

Of those 18 cases, 10 were related to travel andseven were close contacts of previously reportedcases. The remaining case is under investigation.

"While we're seeing more variant cases being identified in the province, it's important to understand that most of these cases are related to travel and they are strictly adhering to the public health measures," saidDr. Robert Strang,Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, in a news release.

Nova Scotia Health labs completed 2,154 tests on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday,a total of169,851 doses of COVID-19 vaccine hadbeen administered, including31,583 second doses.

Assisting other provinces?

Nova Scotia has been spared the surge in hospitalizations related to COVID-19 that isbeing experienced in some other provinces,notably in Quebec and Ontario.

Zach Churchill, Nova Scotia's health minister, said Wednesday the province has not been asked for help. However, he said it was time to consider how Nova Scotia could assist other provinces, if needed.

"Of course they're experiencing much greater challenges for an epidemiological perspective, but we can't also make decisions that would jeopardize any health-care service delivery here," he said.

"When this started percolatingI know that people started directing their minds to what could we do, and we need to have further conversations before we fully understand that."

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