Nova Scotia reported 1,563 new laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, 41 hospitalizations and nine deaths during the seven-day period ending May 30. The number of new PCR-positive tests and hospitalizations is similar to last week.
“We have learned so much about COVID-19 – how the virus spreads, who is most at risk of serious consequences and the personal actions we can take to protect ourselves, our loved ones and each other,” he said. Robert Strang, Chief Medical Officer of Nova Scotia Health. “Viral activity has slowed in the last few weeks, but it hasn’t stopped. COVID-19 is here to stay, so we must continue to protect each other.
People aged 70 and over continue to be at the highest risk of severe COVID-19 results. Since the beginning of the Omicron waves on December 8, 2021, the average age of hospitalizations has been 71 and the average age of people who have died is 81. All COVID-19 deaths reported this week are 70 or more years.
The data show that the risk of hospitalization is nearly 11 times higher for people aged 70 and over and the risk of death about 115 times higher than for those under 50. Vaccine-related immunity decreases much faster in people aged 70 and over, which is why a second booster dose was recommended this spring. Most adults under the age of 70 are still well protected from their initial series of two doses plus one booster.
To date, 65.7% of New Scots aged 18 and over have received at least one booster dose, and 64,934 have received a second.
The weekly epidemiological summary of COVID-19 is being prepared for the Chief Medical Officer of Health and his team to inform the public health management of the pandemic. It tracks weekly trends and focuses on monitoring severe outcomes in key populations. The full report is available here:
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