N.S. reports 85 people in designated COVID-19 hospital units Sunday

Nova Scotia is reporting that there are 85 people in designated COVID-19 hospital units on Sunday, including 11 people in intensive care.

The abbreviated release did not include information about the number of people admitted and discharged from hospital.

There are 287 people in hospital with COVID-19:

• 85 hospitalized due to the virus.
• 83identified as positive upon arrival, but were admitted for another medical reason, or were admitted for COVID-19 but no longer require specialized care.
• 119contracted COVID-19 while in hospital.

The average age of people in hospital is 67, the release said. Of the 85 people in hospital, 82 were admitted during the Omicron wave.

Currently, unvaccinated Nova Scotiansare 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.

The province is also reporting 503new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Of these, 256 are in the central health zone, 108in the western zone, 76in the eastern zone and 63in the northern zone.

These cases were identified from 3,063tests that were completed by Nova Scotia Health labs on Saturday.

Protest at N.S.-N.B. border

Meanwhile, ademonstration protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truckershas reduced traffic to one lane at the Nova Scotia-New BrunswickborderSunday afternoon.

Nova Scotia and New Brunswick RCMPwere at the border"to promote public safety" and keep the peace.

Cpl.Deepak Prasad saidthere were up to 70 vehicles at one point moving at slow speed on Highway 104. Traffic was tied up in both directions.

By 1:55 p.m., the RCMP saidtraffic was moving freely at the border again.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

• Prince Edward Islandreported one new deathandnine peoplein hospital on Sunday, with one in ICU.There were 209new cases,with2,484active cases.
• New Brunswickreported two deaths and 126hospitalizations Sunday, including 10 ICU cases.New Brunswick now has 209COVID-19 deaths. The province reported 545 new cases on Sunday for a total of 5,256 active cases.
• Newfoundland and Labradorreported Sundaythat 19people are in hospitaldue to COVID-19. There are 361new cases and 2,656active cases.