There are 23 new COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia but unlike in recent days, there were no additional deaths reported. 

Many of the new cases continue to be at nursing homes. The Health Department said Friday that 10 licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia have cases of COVID-19: 189 residents – an increase of 31 compared to yesterday – and 82 staff, an increase of three. 

The conflict between the nursing home numbers – there are more cases than the provincial total – relates to the timing of the various updates. 

Eleven of Nova Scotia’s 16 COVID deaths have occurred at Northwood Manor in Halifax. 

At a news conference Friday afternoon, Northwood CEO Janet Simm said there are a total of 228 cases at the facility – 170 resident cases, that’s 30 new cases, and 58 staff cases, which includes one new case. 

Simm addressed concerns expressed by the union that represents nurses who have been seconded to the facility to help care for residents about the supply of personal protective equipment such as masks. NSGEU officials described a chaotic environment in which residents were allowed to roam. 

She said it was “very, very disheartening” to hear those public complaints. She said there has always been an adequate supply of PPE. 

“There’s been unprecedented demand for those supplies but we have enough,” she said. 

Simm said the facility is grateful for the help of health-care workers who’ve never experienced the long-term-care environment.

“It takes a little getting used to. …. There was a lot of work to do on Sunday and Monday as we welcomed dozens of new team members. It has been tough work but we’ve done it. We reached out for help when we needed it and it came – we’re so much stronger now.”

Thousands of masks, gowns

Josie Ryan, Northwood’s executive director of long-term care, said all residents and staff are being tested and if they test negative, they’re retested every three days.  

As of Friday morning, over 450 residents and 300 staff had been tested. 

Northwood’s building consists of eight double rooms on each floor and one triple room and staff are moving patients within the building if they become infected. It’s the largest long-term facility in the province with a capacity for 485 residents.

It’s believed that staff members unknowingly brought the virus into the facility in March and it spread rapidly because there happened to be a couple of large residential gatherings around that time.

The workers weren’t showing symptoms so Ryan said it wasn’t possible to know about the risks at that time. 

“They came in, their temp was checked, we went through the questionnaire, disinfected their phones,” Ryan said, noting this was before the order that long-term-care personnel wear surgical masks.  

Ryan, who has worked at Northwood for 22 years, said the residents are like family to staff and it’s difficult when the question comes up about them bringing the virus into the facility. 

“So it’s sad and it’s a very tough time for staff and for all of us.”

She said there was initially a delay in getting PPE equipment to the floors when the first COVID-19 cases developed but everything that’s needed is there now. 

“We have shipments of thousands of gowns, thousands of masks, eye shields, gloves, … head coverings, foot coverings in addition that infection control says we don’t really need but we want to give the staff whatever they want, and when they ask for it, it’s there.”

Ryan said Northwood has had its own pandemic emergency team in place, which includes herself, Simm, the facility’s medical director and other management officials, since the outbreak hit Nova Scotia. That team is now supported by officials from Nova Scotia public health, with whom they meet twice a day, and an emergency centre has been established. 

Not out of the woods

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, said Friday he’s heartened by the fact there have been 392 recoveries from the virus and 24,521 negative test results in Nova Scotia. 

But he reiterated the need for Nova Scotians to maintain social distancing, wash their hands regularly and adhere to the other public health measures that have been put in place.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” he said at a COVID-19 update news conference with Premier Stephen McNeil. 

Other provinces such as New Brunswick plan to loosen restrictions as early as this weekend by allowing outdoor activities. Strang and the premier have said discussions have started among public health officials and the government on how they will begin to lift restrictions. But they are not talking about specific timelines yet. 

Strang said one of the new 23 cases Friday was a person at a temporary shelter set up for the pandemic. The person and anyone who was in close contact have been moved out of the shelter. 

Also Friday, the premier announced more funding support for small businesses that have been hit by the pandemic. 

The COVID-19 Small Business Credit and Support Program will act as a temporary stream for access to credit, cash grants and support delivered through participating credit unions. The program will be available starting Wednesday. 

Eligible businesses can get a loan of up to $25,000 and a grant up to $1,500. A business can also apply for a COVID-19 Business Continuity Voucher of up to $1,500, to help hire a private consultant for advice and support

An additional $20 million has been made available through the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program that will help fund the new temporary COVID-19 response. The grant has a cap of $3 million, the province said in a news release Friday.