Province reports 91 new COVID-19 cases Monday, active cases drop to 1,434
The province reported 91 new COVID-19 cases Monday – 66 of the new cases are in the province’s Central zone, seventeen were reported in the Eastern zone, five are in the Northern zone, and three are in the Western zone. Two of the new cases in the Central zone involve patients in a non-COVID unit at the Halifax Infirmary site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre. Health officials say those patients have been transferred to the COVID-19 unit, and all other patients in the non-COVID unit have tested negative and are being closely monitored. As a precaution, Nova Scotia Health Authority is testing staff and doctors who have worked in the unit. Nova Scotia says 187 previously reported cases are now considered resolved, with the total number of active cases dropping to 1,434.
Nova Scotia Health Public Health is advising of potential exposure to COVID-19 at various locations in all four Zones and one Air Canada flight. All potential exposure notifications in the province are listed here: http://www.nshealth.ca/covid-exposures
Dr. Brendan Carr, President and CEO of the Nova Scotia Health Authority provides update during Monday’s Covid briefing
With the rising number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19, Dr. Brendan Carr, President and CEO of the Nova Scotia Health Authority, says staffing and other resources are being redirected and redeployed to areas of greatest need – he said “some patients may be transferred to another facility if they are admitted to hospital and some surgeries, tests and procedures may be postponed.” There are currently 95 individuals in hospital, 29 of which are in the intensive or intermediate care unit. Despite a decrease in cases, he says the next few weeks will be challenging as the number of people admitted to hospital for COVID-19 is expected to continue to rise.
Premier Iain Rankin and the other Eastern Canadian premiers are exploring the possibility of receiving excess vaccine from the United States as part of the COVID-19 economic recovery. Rankin and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont co-chaired a meeting of New England governors and Eastern Canadian premiers on Monday morning. They are sending a joint letter to the governments of Canada and the United States to help facilitate receipt of the extra vaccine and their work in reopening the border. The New England states, which have indicated they have a significant percentage of their population vaccinated, are willing to share their excess vaccine as a way of expediting the reopening of borders and the recovery that can follow once that happens. Meanwhile, as of Monday, Nova Scotians in the 30 to 34 age group were able to book appointments to receive the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Robert Strang said vaccinations should be open for everyone 12 and over by next week. The province is encouraging all Nova Scotians to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as they are eligible.
Police in New Glasgow lay charges for failing to follow Public Health Orders
New Glasgow Regional Police have laid charges against two people in separate incidents for failing to follow Public Health Orders. One was Sunday night when police stopped a 30-year-old woman for speeding on the Trenton Connector Road in Trenton. She was fined $295, but in their investigation police also discovered that she was travelling from Colchester County to Pictou County for non-essential business. That resulted in a near $700 fine for failing to comply with the order to restrict travel to within your own municipality. Then, on Monday morning, officers responded to a call to a business on East River Road in New Glasgow for a man who was not wearing a mask. The 35-year-old man ticketed, for the second time in a week, for Failure to Wear a Mask and fined over $2400.
Pictou County teen sustains serious, but non-life threatening injuries after weekend off-road vehicle collision
Pictou County District RCMP is investigating after an off-road vehicle collision in Egerton over the weekend. Police say that shortly after 6 p.m. on Sunday, police were notified of a collision on Lamont Rd. Police, fire and EHS attended the scene and found an ATV that had left the road and went into the ditch. The driver of the ATV, a 13-year-old youth, sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries and was taken to hospital in Halifax by LifeFlight. Pictou County District RCMP continues to investigate.
Thunderstorm on Monday causes damage at local green house
Photo credit: West River Greenhouses
The risk of thundershowers yesterday turned into a scary reality for many in parts of of the province, including a number of areas in Pictou County. A line of thunderstorms developed along a line from the South Shore into the North Shore. Many areas experienced torrential downpours and hail, including in Central West River, where West River Greenhouses is located. Staff at the garden centre say they suffered broken glass along their header house and say they may have lost all their hardy veggie transplants. The hail and heavy downpours also made for treacherous driving in many areas, with many motorists pulling over on the side of the road until conditions improved.
Eleven people have been displaced by two separate fires in rural communities in central and northern Nova Scotia.
The Canadian Red Cross says a fire Sunday night, gutted a home near MacPhees Corner, about 10 kilometres west of Shubenacadie. Meanwhile, a second fire destroyed a home near Southampton, about 15 kilometres southwest of Amherst early yesterday (Monday) morning. The Canadian Red Cross says volunteers have assisted a couple and their adult daughter, and an extended family of eight, including six young children, with emergency lodging and meals. There were no injuries reported in either fire.
The Town of New Glasgow is launching phase 3 of its 2021-2025 Integrated Development Plan.
That phase will see New Glasgow residents invited to participate in a series of Virtual Public Consultation Sessions. It’s a process the Town goes through every four years to review strategic priorities and initiatives for the community. The first session is Tuesday, May 25th on Arts & Culture, Festivals & Events, Business Development & Tourism Development.
Want to stay up to date with what’s happening in Stellarton? There’s an App for that!
Stellarton residents and visitors will now be able to get the latest Town updates sent directly to their mobile devices with the new Stellarton App. Through this app, the Town will be able to send local notifications regarding safety, events, taxes, road issues, and much more. App users will also be able to submit reports directly to the Town. The app is free to download and use.
A Phase 2 trial of Canada’s first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine is showing promising antibody results. Medicago executive vice-president Nathalie Landry says the Quebec-based company’s vaccine produced 10 times the antibodies in adults compared with those who have had COVID-19. The results are not yet peer-reviewed but Landry says her team is “quietly confident” the vaccine will also prove to be very effective at preventing COVID-19 infections. Medicago’s vaccine uses a cousin of the tobacco plant to grow a particle that resembles the virus that causes COVID-19 but contains none of the genetic material. Canada pre-purchased 20-million doses of Medicago’s vaccine but most Canadians will be vaccinated before the shot is approved. (The Canadian Press)
