37 new COVID-19 cases in N.S. as more restrictions announced

Nova Scotia reported37new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesdaythe fifth highest single-day increase in cases since the start of the pandemic as officials announced new restrictions to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

The province hasn't reported this many new cases since April 23 when 55 new cases were announced. That remains the most cases announced in Nova Scotia in a single day.

Premier Stephen McNeil and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strangtold a news conference Tuesday that 35 of the new cases are in the central health zone.

One case is on the edge of thenorthern health zone and isrelated to an exposure in the central zone. The province alsoconfirmed a case of COVID-19atNortheast Kings Education Centre in Canning, Kings County, in the western health zone.The school will be closed for cleaning for three days.

"Thirty-sevencases in one day if that isn't enough of a concern, I don't know what is," said McNeil."If you haven't woken up to the second wave, this is your wake-up call."

The Nova Scotia Health Authority's labs completed 1,561tests on Monday.

McNeil announced that as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, all restaurants and bars in the Halifax region must close to in-person dining, except for takeout and delivery orders, for the next two weeks.

Allfitness and recreational facilities, libraries, museums and casinos in the region must close for the next two weeks, as well.

Prior to the announcement,the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia had called on the province to shut down establishments for the next two weeks.

Strang said the province is expanding the area where these restrictions are being put in place. They now apply inHRM from Hubbards to, and including, Porters Lake as well as the communities up to Elmsdale and Mount Uniacke in Hants County.

A list of what's open and closed in the Halifax region can be found here.

In a statement Tuesday, a Saint Mary's University spokesperson said "a SMU community member" has tested positiveforCOVID-19.

"Public Health is conducting contact tracing. Anyone asked to self-isolate by Public Health is doing so," the statement said."Others have been asked to monitor for symptoms due to low-risk interaction."

It said anyone who has not been contacted is not being asked to do anything, other than continue to follow Public Health protocols.

Due to privacy concerns, the school is not releasing any more information about the individual.

Other measures

While the gathering limitin the Halifax region will remain at five, McNeil said there will be stronger enforcement for illegal gatherings"including a $1,000 fine for every person who walks through the door."

As well, masks will now be mandatory in common areas of multi-unit residential buildings, likeapartment buildings and condos.

Heading into the holiday season, retailers will have to limit their store capacity to 25 per cent of their legal capacity, based on their building code.

"We're doing this because we know that the crowded shopping spaces are one of the areas that are a significant concern," said Strang.

He discouraged non-essential travel in and out of the Halifax area.

Outside of the Halifax region, the gathering limit is still 10. Visitors, aside from volunteers and designated caregivers, will no longer be allowed to visit long-term care facilities, adult residential centres and regional rehabilitation centres licensed by the Department of Community Services.

Staff, volunteers and designated caregivers at long-term facilities in the Halifax area will undergo voluntary, biweekly testing. It will be phased in starting Nov. 27.

Sports teams outside Halifax are restricted to local or regional play only and there will be no extracurricular activities between schools.

Bubble burst

The conference comes aday after P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador announced they areleaving the Atlantic bubble as COVID-19 case numbers begin to climb in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

McNeil and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs said Monday that travellers from Atlantic Canada can still enter Nova Scotia and New Brunswickwithout quarantining, though both provinces are discouraging non-essential travel.

As of Tuesday,Nova Scotia had a total of 87known active cases. Public Health officials have confirmed there is community spread in the province.

Atlantic bubble bursts as COVID-19 cases climb

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P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador will soon require 14-day isolation for travellers from other Atlantic provinces, effectively ending the travel bubble that began in July.

Late Tuesday night, the Nova Scotia Health Authority issued 21 more potential exposure notifications. The active exposure sites in the greater Halifax areaare listed here.

Many of the recent exposures are at Halifax bars and restaurants. The province is asking employees of Halifax bars and restaurants, as well as anyone who visited one of thoseestablishments past 10 p.m. in the last two weeks to get a COVID-19 test, even if they are asymptomatic.

Rapid-testing event held

The number of new cases being announced has increased steadily in recent weeks. Three new cases were announced in September, while October saw 21 new cases.So far in November, 118 new caseshave been announced.

Strang said more than 70 per cent of November's cases have beenamong adults aged 18 to 35.

"We know in this population there's a lot of social activity," he said.

Strang said asking everyone who visited bars or restaurants in the last two weeks to get tested, as well as having pop-uprapid-testing events, can help identify some of the asymptomatic people in that demographic.

A rapid-testingpilot that began in The Domenightclub on Saturday in downtown Halifax will continuethis week. Thepop-up sites will move to new locations each day, the province said.

Tuesday afternoon,dozens lined up in the cold for the second rapid-testing event outside a building on Dalhousie University's campus.

Results from rapid testscan take as little as 15 minutes, but are less accurate thanresults from theteststhat needto be processed in a lab.

Anyone who gets a positive result from the rapid test will get a standard test, and be sent home immediately to self-isolate while they wait for those results.

More cases to come

Strang said he expects more cases to be announced in the coming days and weeks.

"Everything right now we're seeing today will have an impact, but because of the incubation period of the virus, we're going to see these high numbers continue for the next week to 10 days. Everything we're seeing today ...are a result of things happening a week to two weeks ago," he said.

"So as we start to see the impact of our tough measures, it will take at least a week, if not 10 days, to really start to see the impact."

He said the province may see more cases in hospitals and long-term care facilities, but he said they are prepared.

"I don't want to scare people, but I want people to have a realistic picture of what we're facing," said Strang.

"We all need to work together to get ourselves out of this, and we all need to start today. Now."

COVID casesin the Atlantic provinces

The latest numbers from the Atlantic provinces are:

• New Brunswickreported six new cases Tuesday and has a total of 94 active cases.As well, there is one new case at an elementary school in Quispamsis. Public Healthis asking anyone who has travelled from Halifax back to New Brunswickto self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days as a result of community spread in Halifax.
• Newfoundland and Labradorreported two new casesMonday and has 23active cases. Effective on Wednesday,anyone arriving in the provincefrom within the Maritimes will have to self-isolatefor 14 days.
• P.E.I.reported no new cases on Tuesday and has one active case. The province reported a single new case on Monday. Starting at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday,anyone travelling to P.E.I. from other Atlantic provinces will have to quarantinefor two weeks.Anyone who hasreturned from Nova Scotia or New Brunswick in the past week should limit their contact with others. As well, Islanders are being asked to not travel for the holidays.

Symptoms

Anyone with one of the following symptoms should visit the COVID-19self-assessment websiteor call 811:

• Fever.
• Cough or worsening of a previous cough.

Anyone with two or more of the following symptoms is also asked to visit the website or call 811:

• Sore throat.
• Headache.
• Shortness of breath.
• Runny nose.

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