Dr Robert Strang, the county’s chief medical officer, began the weekly briefing urging Nova Scotia residents to be vigilant this festive weekend.
“It is extremely important that people still remember to follow the safety protocols for COVID and to gather safely,” he said.
In its weekly report, the county reported that for the six days ended April 11, there were 14 deaths from COVID-19 in the county and 72 people were admitted to hospital due to the virus.
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The median age of COVID-19 reported deaths since the start of the Omicron wave on December 8, 2021 is 80, the province said.
Strang says there are some positives we need to take away from this week’s report.
“If you look at the total number of our cases, we have a lower rate of people getting seriously ill or dying than in any previous wave,” he said.
“This speaks to the third point about the crucial role that the vaccine plays in protecting us and minimizing serious illness.”
Vaccine intake
The county’s top doctor also called Nova Scotia who have not been vaccinated to go get a vaccine.
“I urge you to do this now,” Strang said.
According to the county, 7.6 per cent of Nova Scotia residents have not been vaccinated and 4.8 per cent have received only one dose of the vaccine.
As of April 14, 64.2 per cent of Nova Scotia residents aged 18 and over have received a third booster dose. The county says details are coming in when people aged 70 and over will be able to make an appointment to receive a fourth booster dose.
Prime Minister Tim Houston said the government was concerned about the low absorption of reinforcements among Nova Scotia residents.
“They work, they are effective and we want to encourage people to take it. So we will go back and see what we can do more to encourage absorption.”
Liberal leader Iain Rankin told reporters he would like to see the government use a public awareness campaign similar to the one that encourages people to go out and support local businesses.
Houston said he was “happy to be looking” which reinforces the message that people should take their boost shots.
Low vaccination in children 5-11
Immunization levels among school-age children are some of the lowest in any age group in Nova Scotia. The coverage of the first dose for children aged five to 11 years is 74 percent and the coverage of the second dose is 47 percent. “What we see in Nova Scotia is common to what is happening across the country,” said Dr Shelley Deeks, deputy director of health. “We expected that pre-licensing research in this age group showed that there were more parents who were reluctant to vaccinate their children in this age group. So we still have a long way to go to increase coverage in this age group. ».
