COVID-19 hospitalizations on the rise in Atlantic Canada

All four provinces in Atlantic Canada are reporting an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations as experts warn a seventh wave of the pandemic is sweeping through the region.

On Thursday, Nova Scotia reported that 44 people had been hospitalized with symptoms of COVID-19 from July 12 to July 18. This is double the number of hospitalizations just two weeks ago.

On Tuesday, Prince Edward Island reported its highest number of hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic. A record 41 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, including one in intensive care.

In New Brunswick, the number of hospital admissions for COVID-19 has doubled in the past week. Thirty people were newly admitted to hospital with the virus between July 10 and July 16, up from 15 the previous week.

Newfoundland and Labrador has also seen an increase in hospital admissions, according to the latest figures released Wednesday. The province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, said she expects hospitalizations to increase as the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron circulates around the world.

Nova Scotia reports 7 new deaths

Nova Scotia is reporting seven COVID-19 deaths and a daily average of 268 lab-confirmed cases in its latest provincial dashboard update.

The figures come from a seven-day period from July 12 to July 18.

There were a total of 1,877 positive PCR tests, an increase of 20% from last week. This number does not include positive rapid test results.

Since March 2020, there have been 463 deaths from COVID-19 in Nova Scotia. About three-quarters of those deaths occurred during the Omicron wave, which began on December 8, 2021.

While 44 Nova Scotians were hospitalized in the week to July 18, Nova Scotia Health reports that as of July 21, 39 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, including six in intensive care.

Another 109 people currently have COVID-19 but are hospitalized for another reason, according to the health authority. Another 48 people have contracted COVID-19 after being hospitalized.