N.S. COVID-19 cases continue to rise, with average of 598 per day

Nova Scotia reported 10deaths and 51people inhospitalin its weekly COVID-19 update released Thursday.

The update encompasses March 23-30.

The province also reported a total of 4,188positive PCR tests during the same period, an average of 598 new COVID-19 cases per day. This total does not include positive rapid tests.

Nova Scotia haslifted nearly all COVID-19 restrictions.Some restrictions remain, including mandatory, seven-day isolation for anyone who tests positive, and mask-wearing at health-care facilities, jails and courts. Students must still wear masks in school for a few more weeks.

According to CBC's tracking of COVID-19 deaths since the Omicron wave began, 131 Nova Scotians have died from COVID-19since Dec. 8, 2021.

So far during the Omicron wave, those who are unvaccinated or have received only one dose of vaccine are three times more likely to die of COVID-19 as compared to someone who has had two doses, and are six times more likely to die as someone who has received a booster dose.

Unvaccinated Nova Scotians are about 5 times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than someone with two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. That figure is based on average hospitalization numbers released from theprovince fromJan. 4 to March 24.

Numbers from Nova Scotia Health, released regularly since January, show there is an increase in the number of staff off work due to COVID-19. On March 31, there were 786 staff off work because they testedpositive, werewaiting test results or were exposed to a member of their household withCOVID-19.

At the IWK on March 28,67 staff were off with COVID-19 and46 were off isolating.