There have been four more COVID-19 related deaths at the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax.
This brings the total number of deaths in the province to fifty-five.
Chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang says that these deaths are not just case files to them.
“These are not just numbers. We fully recognize that there are individuals and families and that is the forefront of all the work that I do and all my colleagues in Public Health that, at the end of the day, our job is to help Nova Scotians to be as safe and healthy as possible.”
Premier Stephen McNeil admitted these deaths are having an effect on him and on Dr. Strang.
“This is by far the most difficult part of the conversations we have with Nova Scotians. Losing a loved one at any time is extremely difficult but at this moment in time, with COVID, but also with the restrictions on the way that we can get together and mourn compounds it for families who have lost a loved one.”
The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab identified eight more positive results yesterday out of 473 tests, for a total of 1034 positive cases and 35,375 negative COVID-19 test results, while 918 people have now recovered.
Dr. Strang says the toll taken on long-term care facilities is part of a national conversation, especially around their design.
“Clearly, knowing that shared rooms increase the likelihood of transmission of whether it’s COVID-19, influenza, other infections, and that’s why the standard now is building new long-term care facilities is to not have shared rooms.”
He says they need the ability to transition to that new standard over time.
