N.S. reports 1 COVID-19 death; 15 people hospitalized, 16 discharged

Nova Scotia reported one death and 15 new hospital admissions due to COVID-19 on Tuesday.

The man who died was in his 80s and in the central zone. It is the province's 115th death pandemic-related death.

There are now 58 people in hospital with COVID-19 total, including four people in intensive care. Of the 58 people in hospital, 56 were admitted during the recent wave of the Omicron variant.

The province also reported 16 people have been discharged from the hospital.

The ages of people in hospital range from 39 to 100 years old. The average age is 67.

Premier Tim Houston and Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, will give a COVID-19 update Wednesday at 3 p.m. AT.

The vaccination status of those in hospital is:

• Six (10.3 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
• Thirty-four (58.6 per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses).
• Three (5.2 per cent) are partially vaccinated.
• Fifteen (25.9 per cent) are unvaccinated.

Less than 10 per cent of Nova Scotians are unvaccinated.

The province reported 616 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.

There are 322 cases in central zone, 103 cases in eastern zone, 69 cases in northern zone and 112 cases in western zone. The province estimated 6,796 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia as of Tuesday.

Red Cross to help in N.S. vaccination effort

There are more details about assistance Nova Scotia will receive from the Red Cross. 

The federal government approved a request from the province last week to send 24 Canadian Red Cross personnel to help in Nova Scotia's vaccination effort.

Fourteen immunizers and 10 other staff will help set up a clinic able to administer an additional 1,000 doses per day in Halifax.

Last week, Premier Tim Houston told CBC's Power & Politics he hopes to get the clinic up and running soon. 

The Red Cross deployment is a part of a $150-million Public Safety Humanitarian Workforce Program that started last summer to support the Canadian Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations to provide help in response to COVID-19 outbreaks and other large-scale emergencies.

Atlantic Canada case numbers

• Newfoundland and Labrador reported five people in hospital on Tuesday. There were also 750 new cases, including an additional 323 that were from a testing backlog between Dec. 29 and Jan. 6. There are 6,211 active cases. 
• Prince Edward Island reported 304  new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday. There were 1,694 active cases as of Tuesday. Six people are in hospital being treated for COVID-19, one in intensive care. 
• New Brunswick On Tuesday, New Brunswick reported 88, including 14 people in intensive care.