There has been another death connected to the coronavirus at Halifax’s Northwood Manor, according to the Nova Scotia government.
The province announced the sixth death at the facility, the 10th for the province, in a news release Tuesday.
“This is a deeply sad day for the family and loved ones of this individual, as well as everyone at Northwood. Nova Scotians offer their heartfelt condolences to them,” said Premier Stephen McNeil.
“We will all get through this extraordinarily difficult time by pulling together and supporting each other.”
Tweet This
16 new cases, 737 total
The province announced 16 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the provincial total to 737.
The breakdown of where cases have been identified in Nova Scotia is as follows:
Story continues below advertisement
Central: 600
Western: 54
Eastern: 46
Northern: 37
The province says as of Monday, there were 10 licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia with cases of COVID-19, involving 128 residents and 62 staff.
There are over 100 residents at Northwood Halifax Manor with the virus, and residents infected with the virus are being cared for at the facility, which is now receiving extra help to do so.
“We’ve brought in resources and people from acute care center into Northwood so they can provide higher levels of care,” said Premier Stephen McNeil.
Meanwhile infectious disease specialist in Toronto says it’s not surprising to see outbreaks in long-term care facilities, but Canada should have been more prepared after seeing what’s happened around the world.
“You shouldn’t have more than two people in one room, you should have been using personal protective equipment and have people trained to use PPEs, PSWs in general are not always given that training,” Dr. Anna Banerji.
Story continues below advertisement
All staff at long-term care facilities are now required to wear PPEs, but that didn’t start until after positive cases made their way into long-term care facilities.
6:59 Managing anxiety during the spread of coronavirus
Managing anxiety during the spread of coronavirus
“Once it starts even if you put those measures in place, probably it’s already spread,” said Banerji.
At the daily press briefing, chief public health officer Dr. Robert Strang admits that as they test more residents at Northwood they are expecting the number of positive cases to rise, but they are now doing everything they can to minimize the spread and take care of all residents.
Strang also reminded people that in the wake of the recent mass shooting, they need to mourn and remember the families impacted virtually.
He also said he had some communication with funeral service directors who are getting requests from families.
“Under the Health Protection Act, funerals or memorial services can happen for immediate families,” said Strang, adding that only families of five or fewer can come together.
But extended families would have to mourn virtually.
Strang also wanted to remind Nova Scotians that even though the province has ramped down services in hospitals, people can still access care by calling 911.
“If you arrive at an emergency department, you will be treated,” said Strang.
Anyone experiencing COVID-19-related symptoms is encouraged to call 811.
If an individual has two or more symptoms, which include fever, new or worsening cough, sore throat, runny nose and headache, they must visit 811.novascotia.ca or call 811 for further assessment.
The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 516 Nova Scotia tests on Monday. The province also noted that a total of 22,190 tests have come back negative.
Currently, there are 11 patients in hospital, with three in an intensive care unit. The number of recovered patients is now 286.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
Story continues below advertisement
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
VANCOUVER – Mayors and other leaders from several British Columbia communities say the provincial and federal governments need to take “immediate action” to tackle mental health and public safety issues that have reached crisis levels.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says it’s become “abundantly clear” that mental health and addiction issues and public safety have caused crises that are “gripping” Vancouver, and he and other politicians, First Nations leaders and law enforcement officials are pleading for federal and provincial help.
In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier David Eby, mayors say there are “three critical fronts” that require action including “mandatory care” for people with severe mental health and addiction issues.
The letter says senior governments also need to bring in “meaningful bail reform” for repeat offenders, and the federal government must improve policing at Metro Vancouver ports to stop illicit drugs from coming in and stolen vehicles from being exported.
Sim says the “current system” has failed British Columbians, and the number of people dealing with severe mental health and addiction issues due to lack of proper care has “reached a critical point.”
Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer says repeat violent offenders are too often released on bail due to a “revolving door of justice,” and a new approach is needed to deal with mentally ill people who “pose a serious and immediate danger to themselves and others.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
