HALIFAX —
Nova Scotia is reporting seven new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, as well as eight recoveries, as the active number of cases in the province drops to 44 – the lowest number of active cases since April 17.
Six new cases were identified in the Central zone. Five involve close contacts of previously reported cases and one is related to travel.
The other new case was identified in the Eastern zone, involving a close contact of a previously reported case.
“Most of the cases we are seeing each day are connected to two contained clusters – one in Halifax and one in Glace Bay,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health in a news release. “There is no sign of community spread as a result of these clusters, but they do serve as a reminder of the importance of getting vaccinated as soon as you can. Nova Scotians who are 12 and older can book their COVID-19 vaccine online or by phone.”
Public Health says there is now “limited community spread” in the Central zone. The Eastern, Northern and Western zones continue to be closely monitored for community spread.
CASE DATA
Nova Scotia labs processed 3,146 tests on Monday, and have now processed a total of 960,190 since the start of the pandemic.
There have been 5,863 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia. Of those, 5,725 people have recovered, and 92 have died due to COVID-19.
According to the province’s online dashboard, there are currently two individuals in hospital, with no one in an intensive care unit.
Since April 1, there have been 4,121 positive COVID-19 cases and 26 deaths. Of the new cases since April 1, 4,048 are now considered resolved.
There are cases confirmed across the province, but most have been identified in the Central zone, which contains the Halifax Regional Municipality.
The provincial government says cumulative cases by zone may change as data is updated in Panorama, the province’s electronic information system.
The numbers reflect where a person lives and not where their sample was collected.
Western zone: 290 cases (no active cases)
Central zone: 4,651 cases (30 active cases)
Northern zone: 301 cases (no active cases)
Eastern zone: 619 cases (14 active cases)
The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, 2020, has been extended to July 11, 2021
VACCINE UPDATE
The province’s COVID-19 online dashboard provides an update on the number of vaccines that have been administered to date.
As of Tuesday, 1,011,039 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, with approximately 73.2 per cent of the province’s overall population having received at least one dose. Of those, 299,585 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.
“Yesterday marked one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in our province,” said Premier Iain Rankin in a news release. “This was a wonderful milestone, but we are not finished yet. We need to encourage our fellow Nova Scotians to go out and get the vaccine if they haven’t already.”
The province says it has received a total of 1,256,250 doses of COVID-19 vaccine since Dec. 15.
All Nova Scotians are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as they are eligible. COVID-19 vaccination appointments can be made online or by phone at 1-833-797-7772.
MORE WALK-IN TESTING OPTIONS
Nova Scotia health is introducting several new walk-in testing centres and mobile units across the province.
Testing is open to anyone and can be convenient for out-of-province visitors arriving in Nova Scotia, public health said in a release.
A list of locations offering walk-in PCR COVID-19 testing in addition to testing by appointment can be found on the health authority’s website. Rapid tests will not be offered at these locations.
Testing is available for all ages, for those who have symptoms, no symptoms (asymptomatic), have travelled or been to a potential exposure site and have been a close contact with a positive COVID case.
Public health is strongly encouraging Nova Scotians to seek asymptomatic COVID-19 testing, particularly if they have had several social interactions, even with their own social circle.
COVID-19 tests can be booked through the province’s online self-assessment COVID-19 tool, or by calling 811.
People can also visit one of Nova Scotia’s rapid pop-up testing sites that continue to operate throughout the province.
Tuesday, July 6:
Shubenacadie Community Hall (2848 Main St., Shubenacadie) from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Halifax Convention Centre (1650 Argyle St, Halifax) from noon to 7 p.m.
Rainbow Haven Beach (2248 Cow Bay Rd., Eastern Passage) from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
COVID ALERT APP
Canada’s COVID-19 Alert app is available in Nova Scotia.
The app, which can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play, notifies users if they may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
LIST OF SYMPTOMS
Anyone who experiences a fever or new or worsening cough, or two or more of the following new or worsening symptoms, is encouraged to take an online test or call 811 to determine if they need to be tested for COVID-19:
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, are set to resume today as a strike that has stopped most services drags into a second week.
No timeline has been set for the length of the negotiations, but Joe McCann, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they are willing to stay there as long as it takes, even if talks drag on all night.
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people unable to navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last Tuesday, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
Hundreds of drivers rallied outside TransLink’s head office earlier this week, calling for the transportation provider to intervene in the dispute with Transdev, which was contracted to oversee HandyDART service.
Transdev said earlier this week that it will provide a reply to the union’s latest proposal on Thursday.
A statement from the company said it “strongly believes” that their employees deserve fair wages, and that a fair contract “must balance the needs of their employees, clients and taxpayers.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – Travel company Transat AT Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year earlier as its revenue edged lower.
The parent company of Air Transat says it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31.
The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue in what was the company’s third quarter totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.
Transat chief executive Annick Guérard says demand for leisure travel remains healthy, as evidenced by higher traffic, but consumers are increasingly price conscious given the current economic uncertainty.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Dollarama Inc.’s food aisles may have expanded far beyond sweet treats or piles of gum by the checkout counter in recent years, but its chief executive maintains his company is “not in the grocery business,” even if it’s keeping an eye on the sector.
“It’s just one small part of our store,” Neil Rossy told analysts on a Wednesday call, where he was questioned about the company’s food merchandise and rivals playing in the same space.
“We will keep an eye on all retailers — like all retailers keep an eye on us — to make sure that we’re competitive and we understand what’s out there.”
Over the last decade and as consumers have more recently sought deals, Dollarama’s food merchandise has expanded to include bread and pantry staples like cereal, rice and pasta sold at prices on par or below supermarkets.
However, the competition in the discount segment of the market Dollarama operates in intensified recently when the country’s biggest grocery chain began piloting a new ultra-discount store.
The No Name stores being tested by Loblaw Cos. Ltd. in Windsor, St. Catharines and Brockville, Ont., are billed as 20 per cent cheaper than discount retail competitors including No Frills. The grocery giant is able to offer such cost savings by relying on a smaller store footprint, fewer chilled products and a hearty range of No Name merchandise.
Though Rossy brushed off notions that his company is a supermarket challenger, grocers aren’t off his radar.
“All retailers in Canada are realistic about the fact that everyone is everyone’s competition on any given item or category,” he said.
Rossy declined to reveal how much of the chain’s sales would overlap with Loblaw or the food category, arguing the vast variety of items Dollarama sells is its strength rather than its grocery products alone.
“What makes Dollarama Dollarama is a very wide assortment of different departments that somewhat represent the old five-and-dime local convenience store,” he said.
The breadth of Dollarama’s offerings helped carry the company to a second-quarter profit of $285.9 million, up from $245.8 million in the same quarter last year as its sales rose 7.4 per cent.
The retailer said Wednesday the profit amounted to $1.02 per diluted share for the 13-week period ended July 28, up from 86 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
The period the quarter covers includes the start of summer, when Rossy said the weather was “terrible.”
“The weather got slightly better towards the end of the summer and our sales certainly increased, but not enough to make up for the season’s horrible start,” he said.
Sales totalled $1.56 billion for the quarter, up from $1.46 billion in the same quarter last year.
Comparable store sales, a key metric for retailers, increased 4.7 per cent, while the average transaction was down2.2 per cent and traffic was up seven per cent, RBC analyst Irene Nattel pointed out.
She told investors in a note that the numbers reflect “solid demand as cautious consumers focus on core consumables and everyday essentials.”
Analysts have attributed such behaviour to interest rates that have been slow to drop and high prices of key consumer goods, which are weighing on household budgets.
To cope, many Canadians have spent more time seeking deals, trading down to more affordable brands and forgoing small luxuries they would treat themselves to in better economic times.
“When people feel squeezed, they tend to shy away from discretionary, focus on the basics,” Rossy said. “When people are feeling good about their wallet, they tend to be more lax about the basics and more willing to spend on discretionary.”
The current economic situation has drawn in not just the average Canadian looking to save a buck or two, but also wealthier consumers.
“When the entire economy is feeling slightly squeezed, we get more consumers who might not have to or want to shop at a Dollarama generally or who enjoy shopping at a Dollarama but have the luxury of not having to worry about the price in some other store that they happen to be standing in that has those goods,” Rossy said.
“Well, when times are tougher, they’ll consider the extra five minutes to go to the store next door.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
