Weekly COVID-19 Data Report for June 30, 2022

Nova Scotia reported 1,491 new laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, 28 hospitalizations and four deaths in the seven-day period ending June 27. The number of new PCR-positive tests increased slightly compared to the previous reporting period; however, long-term care outbreaks, hospitalizations, and deaths have decreased.

“Our epidemiology shows that unvaccinated people have a significantly higher risk of hospitalization and death compared to people who have received three or more doses,” said Dr. Shelley Dix, Nova Scotia’s deputy chief medical officer. “And when we compared ages among those with three or more doses of vaccine, people 70 and older were at higher risk of severe outcomes than those 50 to 69 years old.”

Since Omicron waves began on December 8, 2021, the median age of those hospitalized was 71 and the median age of those who died was 81. Three of the four COVID-19 deaths reported this week were in people 70 or older .

Evidence shows that age is the biggest risk factor for severe disease and that vaccines continue to work. The risk of hospitalization was 11.5 times higher for those aged 70 and over and the risk of death about 117 times higher compared to those under 50. In every age group for which there is a vaccine, unvaccinated people are at higher risk of severe disease than vaccinated people. Vaccine-related immunity wears off more quickly in people 70 and older, which is why a second booster dose was recommended this spring. Most adults under 70 are still well protected against severe disease with their primary series plus one booster.

Nova Scotians who are not up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccines are still encouraged to get all recommended doses.

To date, 65.9 per cent of Nova Scotians aged 18 and over have received at least one booster dose, and 77,211 people have received a second.

The weekly epidemiologic summary for COVID-19 is prepared for the Chief Medical Officer of Health and his team to inform public health leadership about the pandemic. It tracks weekly trends and is focused on monitoring for severe outcomes in key populations. The full report is available here:

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