48 hospitalized with COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, with 9 in ICU

Nova Scotia announced 745 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, with 48 people in hospital, including nine in the ICU.

Of those in hospital:

Only 10 per cent of Nova Scotians are unvaccinated, according to the province.

The province also said in a news release Thursday that those hospitalized range in age from 26 to 94 years old, with the average being 68. Of the 48 people in hospital, 44 were admitted during the Omicron wave.

Hospitalizations are well below those reported during the spring wave of COVID-19. More than 100 people were in hospital due to the virus at one point in May.

According to the provincial COVID-19 dashboard, about 84 per cent of people hospitalized with COVID-19 from March 15 to Dec. 17 were unvaccinated.

The province continues to roll out its booster doses and said it is bringing in 25 members of the Canadian Red Cross to help in the booster effort across Nova Scotia in the coming weeks.

Nova Scotia Health also reported a new outbreak at Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital. Fewer than five patients at the facility have tested positive, said the province. 

There are also additional cases related to outbreaks at the following hospitals:

The province also announced new rules around self-isolation on Wednesday for people who test positive for COVID-19 or are close contacts. The new rules begin Friday at 6 a.m. AT.

Of the new cases reported on Thursday, 459 cases are in central zone, 128 cases are in eastern zone, 95 cases are in western zone and 63 cases are in northern zone.

The Canadian Coast Guard ship Jean Goodwill remains docked in Dartmouth after an outbreak was reported Christmas Eve.

In a statement emailed on Thursday, the coast guard said deep cleaning of the vessel has been completed. 

"Crew members who have recovered and have been in isolation 10 days or more have started to return to the vessel," it said.