COVID-19 update: First child death from the virus reported

Nova Scotia reported its first death of a child due to COVID-19 today.

“The loss of a child is something that no family should ever have to endure. My condolences are with the family during this very difficult and tragic time,” Premier Tim Houston said in a news release.

The child was between five and 11.

“Today’s death continues to highlight the seriousness of a disease that knows no bounds and the importance of getting vaccinated to protect yourself and those around you,” Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, said in the release.

The province reported 10 new hospital admissions due to COVID-19 and 12 discharges. There are 82 people in hospital, with 11 people in intensive care. There are six people in hospital who were admitted prior to the Omicron wave.

The ages of those in hospital range from four to 93. The median age is 65. Those in hospital due to COVID-19 are staying for a median of six days.

There are 129 people in hospitals who were admitted for another reason but tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival or were admitted for COVID-19 but no longer require specialized care. As well, 144 people contracted COVID-19 after arriving at the hospital.

Of those in hospital, 37.8 per cent are unvaccinated. Less than 10 per cent of Nova Scotia’s population is unvaccinated.

The province reported 389 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday after the Nova Scotia Health Authority completed 2,385 tests. This brings active cases in the province to 3,153.