2 deaths from previous reporting periods announced in N.S. COVID-19 weekly update

Nova Scotia has reported nonew COVID-19 deaths within the latest reporting week from Dec. 13-19 in its final update for 2022.

Updates will resume Jan. 5.

The province recorded twodeaths from a previous,unspecified time period, according to information released Thursday. Those deaths are listed ina categoryadded toNova Scotia's COVID-19 dashboardon Nov. 3.

The province said deaths reported in this category could be from any past reporting period, but mostlikely to be within the last weeks or months.

Since March 2020, Nova Scotia has recorded675 COVID-19 deaths.

The provincereported 584new cases confirmed by PCR tests in the latesttime period a daily average of about 83. This is up from last week, whenthere were515PCR-confirmed cases.

Nova Scotia Healthreported 164 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Thursday.That is downfrom185the previous week.

Of those 164 people:

• 25 were in hospital for COVID-19 (including 3people in ICU).
• 86were in hospital for something else but have COVID-19.
• 53 patients contracted COVID-19 after admission.

The IWKHealth Centre reported fewer than five hospitalizations on Thursday.

Health-care staff off work

Nova Scotia Health said the number of employees off work Thursday due to being diagnosed with COVID-19, awaiting test resultsor being exposed to a member of their household who tested positive were not available.

There were 166 off work during the previous reporting period.

The IWK reported 25employees off work due to COVID-19 or isolating because of COVID-19on Thursday. This is down from 40from the previous reporting period.