N.S. reports 1 new death Tuesday, 73 people in COVID-19 hospital unit

Nova Scotia reported one additional deathfrom COVID-19 on Tuesday and said 73people are receiving specialized care in a designated hospital unit because of the coronavirus, including 15 who are in intensive care.

The person who died was a woman in her 80s from the eastern zone.

The vaccination status of the 73 patients is:

• 10 (13.7 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
• 43 (58.9per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses).
• Four (5.5 per cent) are partially vaccinated.
• 16 (21.9 per cent) are unvaccinated.

Less than 10 per cent of Nova Scotians are unvaccinated, according to provincial statistics. More than83 per cent of Nova Scotians have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 90.6 per cent have received at least one dose, as of Monday.

The average age of the patients admitted for COVID-19 is 68, the release said. Mostof the patients, 70, were admitted during the Omicron wave. The province reported 13 new admissions Tuesday, and eight discharges.

Has N.S. Omicron wave reached a plateau?

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Infectious disease expert Dr. Lisa Barrett says it's too soon to say definitively.

There are also two other groups currently in hospital related to the coronavirus.

The province said 63 people were identified as positive upon arrival but were admitted for another medical reason, or were admitted for COVID-19 but no longer require specialized care.

It said another 120 people contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital.

As of Friday, unvaccinated Nova Scotians were about four times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than someone with two doses of vaccine. That is based on average hospitalizations since the province started releasing the daily hospitalization numbers by vaccine status on Jan. 4.

On Monday, Nova Scotiaopened up itsCOVID-19 vaccine boosterdose eligibility to include those who are 18 years of age and older who last had their second dose of vaccine at least 168 days ago.

Nova Scotia Health Authority labs completed 4,465 tests on Tuesdayand 415 new cases have been reported.

There are 233 cases in the central health zone, 74 in the western zone, 68 in the eastern zoneand 40 in the northern zone.

Nova Scotia estimates there are 5,511 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

The RCMPhave charged two men for failing to comply with COVID-19health restrictions at a business in Upper Tantallon, N.S.

Just after 6 p.m.on Saturday, police were called to abusiness on Hammonds Plains Road aftertwo men failedto comply with masking requirements and refused to leave without service.

Officers asked the two men to leave, but they refused. Both were arrested for causing a disturbance and removed from the business.

Both men refused to identify themselves at first, but then one of the men provided his identification to police.The 20-year-old from Minevile, N.S., was issued a ticket for failing to abide by COVID-19health restrictions and was released from custody.

The second man refused to identify himself andwas subsequently arrested for obstruction of justice and taken to the police station.

The 24-year-old man appeared in Halifax provincial court on Monday and is charged with obstruction and causing a disturbance. He was also issued a ticketfor failing to abide by COVID-19health restrictions.

Students back in class

Monday was the first day back to in-classroom learning for Nova Scotia students.

Students have been learning remotely for nearly a week following an extended holiday break prompted byrisingCOVID-19 cases and hospitalizations fuelled by the Omicron variant.

The province used the week of at-home learningto secure more masks and rapid tests, andequip dozens ofclassrooms with upgraded ventilation systems so schools are better able to deal with COVID-19.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

• Newfoundland and Labradorreported 239 new cases Monday.There are 5,325active cases and 15 hospitalizations.
• Prince Edward Islandreported 231 new cases of COVID-19 and 378recoveries Monday. Seven people are in hospital due to COVID-19, including one in intensive care.
• New Brunswickreported twodeaths and113 hospitalizations Monday, including 16 people in ICU. The province has 4,914 active cases.