Nova Scotia reports 3 new COVID-19 cases Monday

Nova Scotia reportedthree new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, all of which are in the province's central zone.

One case is related to travel outside of Atlantic Canadaandanother is a close contact of a previously reported case.

The final case is under investigation, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Wellness.

The three individuals have been self-isolating as required.

"Thanks to the hard work and respectfulness of Nova Scotians, we continue to have low case numbers but the virus is still present in the province and there are high numbers outside our region," Premier Iain Rankin said in the release.

One person is in hospitaland there are now32 known active cases in the province.

Nova Scotia Health labs completed1,212tests on Sunday.

"Along with following all of the public health measures, Nova Scotians should continue to get tested regularly for COVID-19," Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health for Nova Scotia, said in the release.

"Regular testing helps us detect cases early and helps prevent them from spreading."

Vaccine eligibility expands

Rankin also asked all Nova Scotians to continue following public health measures and to get vaccinated when eligible.

He announced Thursday thatpeople age70 and older can now bookfor the Pfizer-BioNTechor Moderna vaccines.

The province has also loweredthe minimum age to receive theAstraZeneca vaccine.

Nova Scotiansbetween 55 and 59 will also be eligible to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine with bookings starting Tuesday. The vaccine is currently only available for people ages 60 to 64.

So far, the province has administered113,471 doses of COVID-19 vaccine including 29,532 second doses.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

• New Brunswickreported 10 new cases on Mondayfor a total of 168 known active cases. Fourteen people are in the hospital related to the virus, with eight in intensive care.
• Newfoundland and Labradorreported one new caseon Thursday and none over the Easter weekend. The province hadfour known active cases.
• P.E.I.reported one new caseon Thursday. There were 13known active cases on the Island.