Nova Scotia reports first child death from COVID-19

There are currently 82 people in COVID-19 designated units, province says

CBC News ·

Nova Scotia is reporting its first child death related to COVID-19.

In a news release on Friday, the province said a child between the ages of five and 11 had died.

“It is with deep sadness that we must report COVID has taken the life of a child in our province,” said Premier Tim Houston in the release.

“The loss of a child is something that no family should ever have to endure. My condolences are with the family during this very difficult and tragic time.”

Nova Scotia also reported 82 people in designated COVID-19 units on Friday, including 11 in intensive care.

The age range for those currently in hospital is four to 93 years old. The median age of those in hospital is 65 and those in hospital stay for a median length of six days.

Since the Omicron wave began on Dec. 8, 58 Nova Scotians have died because of COVID-19.

Of those in hospital:

• 23 people have had a third dose of vaccine.
• 28 people are fully vaccinated with two doses.
• 0 people are partially vaccinated.
• 31 people are unvaccinated.

Currently, unvaccinated Nova Scotians are about 4½ times more likely to be hospitalized or die due to COVID-19 than someone with two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. That is based on average hospitalizations since the province started releasing daily hospitalization numbers by vaccine status on Jan. 4.

Unvaccinated people are also more than seven times as likely to die of COVID-19 than someone who had received a booster dose.

THE DOSE

What we know about COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5

• N.S. recommends additional COVID-19 shots for some children, teens

“It is never easy reporting a death, especially when it is someone so young,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health in the news release.

“Today’s death continues to highlight the seriousness of a disease that knows no bounds and the importance of getting vaccinated to protect yourself and those around you.”

There are two other groups of people in hospital related to COVID-19:

• 129 people who were identified as positive upon arrival at hospital but were admitted for another medical reason, or were admitted for COVID-19 but no longer require specialized care.
• 144 people who contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital.

Number of cases

Nova Scotia labs completed 2,385 tests on Thursday and reported 389 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 162 in the central zone, 48 in the eastern zone, 79 in the northern zone and 100 in the western zone.

As of Friday, there were an estimated 3,153 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.

New online form for COVID-19 recovery letter requests

The province is still advising people to avoid unnecessary travel. However, for those who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Nova Scotia and need documentation for travel, the province has set up an online form to request a recovery letter.

• What you need to know about Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 reopening plan

Q&A

It’s time for small steps in easing restrictions, not a ‘leap forward,’ infectious disease expert says

The province cautions the letter is not an official public health record and is based on self-reported information so it may not be sufficient for some countries. The province said, despite the limitations, it’s the only letter it can provide.

“Some jurisdictions, including Canada, will not accept a recovery letter and as required to provide proof of a positive PCR test instead,” reads the news release from the province.

For those requiring a negative PCR test for travel purposes, the province advises contacting a private testing company.