Nova Scotia reports 5 new COVID-19 cases, 10 recoveries Friday

Nova Scotia is reporting five new cases of COVID-19 and 10 recoveries Friday.

Two of the new cases are in the central health zone. One is related to travel and the other is under investigation, according to a news release from the Department of Health.

Two cases were also identified in the western zone. One is related to travel and the other is under investigation.

The remaining case was found in the northern zone and is a close contact of a previously reported case.

The province now has 55 known active cases in the province. No one is in hospital with the virus.

Nova Scotia's health authority completed 2,824 tests on Thursday.

The release also said the province will renew its state of emergency on Sunday. The order will be extended until Sept. 19, unless the government terminates or extends it again.

Reopening target could be missed

The associate deputy health minister in charge of Nova Scotia's vaccine rollout says the province could miss its target reopening date unless more people get vaccinated in the next two weeks.

"Our projections right now — based on what's booked — is we will be slightly shy of 75 per cent fully vaccinated by the middle of September," Tracey Barbrick told CBC's Information Morning on Friday.

Nova Scotia is scheduled to enter Phase 5 — the final phase of its reopening plan — on Sept. 15, providing case numbers remain low and 75 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated.

Premier Tim Houston said Thursday that he's "very firm" about the 75 per cent requirement and Phase 5 could be pushed back if required.

As of Friday's update, 78 per cent of Nova Scotians had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 71.4 per cent had received two doses.

Barbrick said there are about 100,000 people in Nova Scotia who are eligible to be vaccinated but have not received a shot.

According to updated data from the Department of Health, 92.4 per cent of cases identified in Nova Scotia since March 15 were among unvaccinated people.

Barbrick said getting vaccinated is especially urgent now as the delta variant is behind an increase in cases across Canada.

"Having as high a population fully vaccinated as possible supports both our personal safety, our community safety and our ability to restart our economy and keep on track for reopening," she said.

Barbrick said she's hopeful more people will get vaccinated this month as people return from summer vacation and university students return to school.

She said the province has been working to increase vaccination rates, especially as the target reopening date approaches.

The IWK recently extended its vaccination clinic and outreach clinics have opened across the province for appointments and walk-ins.

"We're just trying to make it as easy as we possibly can for people to get vaccinated," Barbrick said.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

• New Brunswick reported 14 new cases on Friday and has 126 active cases. Three people are in hospital with COVID-19, including two in the ICU.
• Prince Edward Island reported three new cases Tuesday. The province has eight active cases. P.E.I. also announced six new exposure sites Thursday related to a visitor who later tested positive for the disease. 
• Newfoundland and Labrador reported five new cases Friday. There are 29 active cases in the province.