Nova Scotia has seen yet another one-day record spike in cases of the novel coronavirus, as 34 more were identified on Thursday.

Of the 34 new cases, 30 were identified in the central zone, three in the eastern zone and one in the northern zone. None were identified in the western zone.

The total breakdown of where cases have been identified in Nova Scotia is as follows:

• Central zone: 292
• Western zone: 44
• Eastern zone: 37
• Northern zone: 34

The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab, which is operating 24 hours a day, completed 915 Nova Scotia tests on Thursday. In total, 13,014 COVID-19 tests have come back negative.

Travel has been removed as a screening requirement to get a COVID-19 test. Now, if you have two or more of the following symptoms, you’re able to get a COVID-19 test.

• fever
• new or worsening cough
• runny nose
• headache

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“We have removed travel from the screening criteria for COVID-19 and increased our lab capacity so that we’re now processing close to 1,000 tests every day,” Premier Stephen McNeil said in a statement. “That means we are finding more cases, including those with mild symptoms.”

Forty-seven per cent of cases involve male patients and 53 per cent involve female patients.

There are now eight patients in hospital, with four in an intensive care unit. There were 10 in hospital on Thursday.

“I want to stress to all Nova Scotians, remain vigilant, follow the public health measures, practice good hygiene, stay home as much as possible, and monitor your health,” Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health, said in a statement. “If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, don’t delay. Please go to the 811 website to see if you should call 811 for further assessment.”

Nova Scotia announced its second death connected to COVID-19 on Thursday. A woman in her 90s with underlying medical conditions died in the Cape Breton Regional Hospital on Wednesday as a result of complications related to COVID-19.

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.

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