Nova Scotia is reporting 426 new cases of COVID-19.
There are 296 cases in Central Zone, 70 cases in Eastern Zone, 35 cases in Northern Zone and 25 cases in Western Zone.
Because of a spike in testing and positive cases, public health is experiencing some delays in follow-up.
Public health will try to contact anyone confirmed positive by the lab within 24 hours to provide information on required isolation and testing. All cases will be asked to contact their close contacts. This may be the only contact a positive case has with public health.
Detailed follow-ups are being prioritized to support contact tracing in schools, long-term care, healthcare facilities, correctional facilities, shelters and other group settings.
All close contacts, including those who are fully vaccinated, now need to isolate for 72 hours after the exposure and then get a lab-based (PCR) test.
Those who are fully vaccinated can stop isolating after receiving a negative lab test.
Those not fully vaccinated must continue to isolate.
It is important that anyone who tests positive with a rapid test self-isolates immediately and gets a PCR test, regardless of vaccination status. If the PCR test is negative, they can stop isolating if they have no symptoms and are fully vaccinated.
On December 17, Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 8,996 tests.
