And while the overall COVID-19 situation in the province has improved over the past two years, the novel coronavirus remains a major health concern that requires public attention, Dr. Robert Strang told reporters. “I am concerned that in recent months we have collectively become too complacent and unconcerned about COVID,” he said. Like the rest of Canada, Nova Scotia recently experienced a seventh wave of the disease, involving the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. That wave has begun to recede, Strang said. “However, we still have a lot of COVID-19 as the summer winds down, and it remains important for all Nova Scotians to take COVID-19 seriously.” Strang said that with a potential new wave of the disease in the fall and winter, it’s important that people continue to wear masks in crowded public places, such as malls and grocery stores, and get vaccinated. He said a return to public health restrictions is not necessary at this point, but that people must take responsibility for protecting themselves and others. Another surge of COVID-19 combined with the flu could mean significant challenges for an already strained health care system, Strang said. “The main question is, are we going to get another major change in the variant, or are we going to continue to have these Omicron-like variants where there’s actually more protection from the vaccine as well as ongoing infection?” he said. The province announced Friday that more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available starting next month for children and adults. From September 6, children aged five to 11 will be eligible for a first booster dose of Pfizer’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine, while those aged 12 and over can receive another dose of vaccine regardless of the number of of booster doses previously received. Provincial health officials recommend people wait 168 days between COVID-19 shots. People infected with the virus must also wait 168 days after infection before receiving the next dose of the vaccine. Meanwhile, the provincial health authority said that as of Thursday, the province had 297 people in hospital with COVID-19, including 49 patients who were admitted due to the disease. There are currently eight patients in intensive care due to the virus. Also, 241 workers are out of work after being diagnosed with COVID-19 or after being exposed to the virus. In data also published Thursday on the provincial dashboard, officials reported eight new deaths in the province linked to the disease — up from 11 deaths in the previous weekly report. A daily average of 194 laboratory-confirmed cases was also reported. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 26, 2022. SHARE:
