COVID-19 Updates from May 2021 – Relevant News & Information

May 31, 2021:
May 28, 2021:
May 27, 2021:
May 26, 2021:
May 25, 2021:
May 21, 2021:
  • Business Support Update: Province Increases Support for Business – The Nova Scotia government is investing $17.2 million more in the Small Business Impact Grant Part 3 program to support small businesses affected by the ongoing provincial COVID-19 restrictions. The province will top up payments made to all small businesses that qualify under the program by $5,000. Read more. 
  • COVID-19 Update: Two Deaths, 84 New Cases of COVID-19, 197 Recoveries – As of May 21, Nova Scotia is reporting two deaths related to COVID-19. Two men in their 70s have died in Central Zone. There have now been 76 COVID-19 related deaths in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia is also reporting 84 new cases of COVID-19 and 197 recoveries today. There are 66 cases in Central Zone, 11 in Eastern Zone, six in Northern Zone and one in Western Zone. Read more. 
May 20, 2021:
May 19, 2021:
  • COVID-19 Update: Restrictions Extended into June – Premier Iain Rankin and Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, announced on May 19 that current public health restrictions will remain in place across Nova Scotia until at least the second week of June. They also announced that public and private schools will continue at-home learning for the remainder of the school year. Read more. 
  • COVID-19 Update: Two Deaths, 83 New Cases of COVID-19, 164 Recoveries – As of May 19, Nova Scotia is reporting two deaths related to COVID-19. A man in his 60s has died in Eastern Zone and a woman in her 60s has died in Central Zone. There have now been 74 COVID-19 related deaths in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia is also reporting 83 new cases of COVID-19 and 164 recoveries today. There are 59 cases in Central Zone, 19 in Eastern Zone, three in Western Zone and two in Northern Zone. Read more. 
May 18, 2021:
May 17, 2021:
May 14, 2021:
May 13, 2021:
  • COVID-19 Update: 110 New Cases of COVID-19, 155 Recoveries – As of May 13, Nova Scotia is reporting 110 new cases of COVID-19 and 155 recoveries. There are 83 cases in Central Zone, 12 in Eastern Zone, nine in Western Zone and six in Northern Zone. Eight patients in a non-COVID unit at the Halifax Infirmary site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre have been identified as positive for COVID-19. They have been transferred to a COVID-19 unit. The other patients in the non-COVID unit have tested negative and are being closely monitored. As a precaution, Nova Scotia Health Authority is testing staff and doctors who have worked in the unit. Read more.
May 12, 2021:
  • Immunization Update – Nova Scotia Pauses Use of AstraZeneca Vaccine – Nova Scotia will pause the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine as the first dose effective today, May 12. Nova Scotia has enough mRNA vaccine to immunize people age 40 and older. Anyone who is scheduled to receive their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine will be contacted by their clinic for a new appointment for either a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine in a timely manner. Read more. 
  • COVID-19 Update – 149 New Cases of COVID-19, 119 Recoveries – Nova Scotia is reporting 149 new cases of COVID-19 and 119 recoveries. There are 116 cases in Central Zone, 13 in Western Zone, 11 in Eastern Zone and nine in Northern Zone. There is community spread in Central Zone. The Eastern, Northern and Western Zones continue to be closely monitored for community spread. Public health has cleared the backlog of positive cases. All positive cases have been contacted and entered into Panorama, the data system. Public health has resumed contacting new positive cases after receiving lab confirmation. As of today, Nova Scotia has 1,621 active cases of COVID-19. There are 73 people in hospital, including 14 in ICU. Read more.
  • COVID-19 Update – Access to Paid Sick Leave for Nova Scotians – Nova Scotians who must take time off work due to COVID-19 may now qualify for up to four paid sick days under Nova Scotia’s new COVID-19 Sick Leave Program. The $16 million program is expected to help more than 100,000 Nova Scotians. Read more.
May 11, 2021:
May 10, 2021:
  • COVID-19 Update – 121 New Cases of COVID-19 – Nova Scotia is reporting 121 new cases of COVID-19 as of May 10. There are 94 cases in Central Zone, 16 in Eastern Zone, six in Western Zone and five in Northern Zone. There is community spread in Central Zone. The Eastern, Northern and Western Zones continue to be closely monitored for community spread. Public health continues to work through the backlog of positive cases that need to be contacted and entered into Panorma, the data system. To allow for timely notification, public health is contacting confirmed COVID-19 cases and close contacts by text message when possible. Nova Scotia Health has created a team that is immediately calling all positive cases to advise they are positive and determine whether they need supports. Public health will continue to do detailed follow up on cases and contacts as soon as they are able. Read more.
May 7, 2021:
  • COVID-19 Update – Border and Other Restrictions to Reduce Spread of COVID-19 – Further restrictions were announced today to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The measures include extended school closures, tighter border restrictions and isolation requirements for rotational workers, and limits on shoppers. Public and private schools will remain closed to students and at-home learning will continue until at least the end of May. New border measures will take effect at 8 a.m. on Monday, May 10, and will be in place until at least the end of the month:
    • Nova Scotia’s border will close to people intending to move here
    • the border will close to people coming from Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador; it was closed previously to non-essential travel from other provinces. Read more.
  • COVID-19 Update – One Death, 227 New Cases – Nova Scotia is reporting a death related to COVID-19 on May 7. Nova Scotia is also reporting 227 new cases of COVID-19 today. There are 202 cases in Central Zone, 14 in Eastern Zone, nine in Western Zone and two in Northern Zone. There is community spread in Central Zone. The Eastern, Northern and Western Zones continue to be closely monitored for community spread. Public health also continues to work through the backlog in data entry into Panorama and contacting new cases. Given delays, anyone tested due to a potential exposure, because they have symptoms, or were advised by public health to self-isolate until receiving test results, should continue to self-isolate until they receive a negative result. Their household should also isolate until contacted. As of today, Nova Scotia has 1,464 active cases of COVID-19. There are 50 people in hospital, including nine in ICU. Read more.
May 6, 2021:
  • COVID-19 Update – 182 New Cases of COVID-19 – Nova Scotia is reporting 182 new cases of COVID-19 today, May 6. There are 155 cases in Central Zone, 16 in Eastern Zone, seven in Northern Zone and four in Western Zone. Two of the cases in Central Zone involve a staff member and resident of the Clarmar Residential Care Facility, a residential care home in Dartmouth. This is the third staff member and third resident at the facility to test positive. There is community spread in Central Zone. The Eastern, Northern and Western Zones continue to be closely monitored for community spread.
May 5, 2021:
  • COVID-19 Update – 175 New Cases of COVID-19: Nova Scotia is reporting 175 new cases of COVID-19 on May 5. There are 149 cases in Central Zone, 13 in Eastern Zone, nine in Western Zone and four in Northern Zone. There is community spread in Central Zone. The Eastern, Northern and Western Zones continue to be closely monitored for community spread. As reported April 30, due to the volume of testing in the province, there was a backlog at the Nova Scotia Health Authority lab and in public health’s case data entry into Panorama. The backlog at the lab has been resolved. The lab is now processing tests within 48-72 hours. Read more.
May 4, 2021:
  • COVID-19 Update – Two Deaths, 153 New Cases of COVID-19: Nova Scotia is reporting two deaths related to COVID-19. A woman in her 50s and a man in his 70s have died in Central Zone. There have now been 69 COVID-related deaths in Nova Scotia.Nova Scotia is also reporting 153 new cases of COVID-19 today. There are 139 cases in Central Zone, 10 in Eastern Zone, three in Northern Zone and one in Western Zone. There is community spread in Central Zone. The Eastern, Northern and Western Zones continue to be closely monitored for community spread. As reported April 30, due to the volume of testing in the province, the Nova Scotia Health Authority lab is experiencing a backlog. There is also a delay in public health’s case data entry into Panorama. As of today, Nova Scotia has 1,060 active cases of COVID-19. There are 37 people in hospital, including eight in ICU. Read more.
May 2, 2021:
  • COVID-19 Update – 133 New Cases of COVID-19: Nova Scotia is reporting 133 new cases of COVID-19. Nova Scotia has 713 active cases of COVID-19. Nova Scotia has 822 active cases of COVID-19. There are 34 people in hospital, including six in ICU. There are 117 cases in Central Zone, nine cases in Eastern Zone, one case in Northern Zone and six cases in Western Zone. There is community spread in Central Zone. The Eastern, Northern and Western Zones continue to be closely monitored for community spread. On May 1, Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 15,832 tests. Since Oct. 1, there have been 1,619 positive COVID-19 cases and two deaths. Cases range in age from under 10 to over 90. There are 795 resolved cases. Read more.
May 1, 2021:
  • COVID-19 Update – 148 New Cases of COVID-19: Nova Scotia is reporting 148 new cases of COVID-19. Nova Scotia has 713 active cases of COVID-19. There are 30 people in hospital, including five in ICU. On April 30, Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 16,578 tests. Since Oct. 1, there have been 1,486 positive COVID-19 cases and two deaths. Cases range in age from under 10 to over 90. There are 771 resolved cases. Read more.