Nova Scotia reports 10 deaths from COVID-19 in latest weekly update

Ten Nova Scotians died from COVID-19 the week ending Sept. 5, the province's updated COVID-19 dashboard showed Thursday.

There were an average of 141 daily COVID-19 cases confirmed by PCR testing during that time, down from 187 last week. Five people died of COVID-19 in the previous reporting period. The median age for deaths is 83. 

As of Friday, Sept. 9, Nova Scotia Health reported 307 patients in hospitals across the province tested positive for COVID-19 — a decrease of 22 from the previous week. That number includes:

• 44 patients are in hospital being treated for COVID-19, seven in intensive care.
• 154 patients in hospital have COVID-19 but are being treated for something else.
• 113 patients in hospital contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital.

Nova Scotia Health reported 141 employees off work on Thursday due to being diagnosed as positive for COVID-19, awaiting results of a COVID-19 test, or being exposed to a member of their household who tested positive for COVID-19. Last week that number was 181.

The IWK Children's Hospital is reporting there are fewer than five children are in hospital being treated for COVID-19. 

There are 39 staff members off work due to COVID-19, including 23 who are self-isolating.

In July, the province limited who can access to PCR tests to select groups who are symptomatic, including people over 50, front-line health care workers and immunocompromised people. People who test positive on a rapid test can no longer have their result confirmed via a PCR test.

Patients sick with COVID-19 who are admitted to hospital in Nova Scotia are no longer being treated separately from patients who don't have it.

Since March 2020, there have been 507 COVID-19 deaths in Nova Scotia.