1 death, 2 new COVID-19 cases reported in Nova Scotia

One woman has died and two more people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, the province announced Tuesday.

The woman was in her 80s with underlying health conditions. She was not a long-term care home resident. She lived in the Nova Scotia Health Authority's central zone, which includes the areas ofHalifax, the Eastern Shore and West Hants.

To date, 59 people in Nova Scotia have died from COVID-19.

The two new cases were known contacts of a previous case.

"So we know how they got exposed. There is no indication that they were exposed in a sort of general community exposure,which is good news," Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre's microbiology lab completed 573 Nova Scotia tests on May 25.

To date, Nova Scotia has 38,999 negative test results and1,052 positive COVID-19 test results.

The confirmed number of cases was 1,051 on Monday, but Strang said a previous positive COVID-19 test was later determined to be a false positive, so the total is 1,052, not 1,053.

"Just wanted to make that clear for you mathematicians out there," he said.

One licensed long-term care home in Nova Scotia, Northwood, has 15 active cases of COVID-1911residents and four staff.

Strang said conversations started Tuesday morning about allowing people to visit family at long-term care homes.

He said the details are being worked out. The goal, he said, is to find a way to do it safely.

In the province, there are 17 active cases of COVID-19. Seven people are in hospital because of COVID-19, including three who are in intensive care.

Enough PPEforsecond wave

Premier Stephen McNeil said the province will continue to buy personal protective equipment in anticipation of a second wave of COVID-19.

"We'll continue to stockpile here within the region," hesaid. "One of things across the country is we're starting to see manufacturing of health-care equipment to be done in our country. We as a province are participating in that."

Strang has said the province is likely to see a second wave of COVID-19 this fall or winter.

McNeil said he would have more to stay about the reopening of the economy "in the not too distant future."

Previously, McNeil gave early June as the expected time frame for the reopening,but he would not give an exact date on Tuesday.

But he said various sectors have different timelines for reopening.

'We've come a long way'

McNeil concluded the press briefing by thanking Nova Scotians for adhering to public health recommendations to physically distance. He said the number of cases in Nova Scotia "is getting very low."

McNeil also announced the province is launching a website called, Preparingto Reopen Nova Scotia. He said the website is designed to help businesses, organizations and services understand how the COVID-19 guidelines will work.

There will be restrictions on reopening, McNeil said. He said the "last thing that I want to do in this province is to have to close down our economy again because we rushed to reopening."

McNeil said the province will monitor how the reopening is going, continue to test for COVID-19 and spot any potential outbreaks or hotspots.

"Remember when we said, 'Stay the blazes home?'We've come a long way since then. Let's do our best not to go back," he said.

COVID-19 symptom list expands

The list of COVID-19 symptoms recently expanded.People with one or more of the following updated list of symptoms are asked to visit811's website:

• Fever (chills, sweats).
• Cough or worsening of a previous cough.
• Sore throat.
• Headache.
• Shortness of breath.
• Muscle aches.
• Sneezing.
• Nasal congestion/runny nose.
• Hoarse voice.
• Diarrhea.
• Unusual fatigue.
• Loss of sense of smell or taste.
• Red, purple or bluish lesions on the feet, toes or fingers that do not have a clear cause.