Nova Scotia reported three new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday and said 24 cases remain active in the province.
The province said all three cases are located in the central zone and are close contacts of previously reported cases.
In a Tuesday provincial briefing, top doctor Dr. Robert Strang issued a stern warning to Nova Scotians, confirming for the first time that the province is starting “to see community spread.”
There have been at least seven cases for which Public Health has not been able to trace close contacts.
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‘We are starting to see community spread’ — Officials issue stern warning to Nova Scotians
Premier Stephen McNeil said it’s clear that Nova Scotians are “not taking this seriously” as he confirmed that the province’s health department is having trouble contact tracing recently detected coronavirus cases.
Both Strang and McNeil said they are prepared to reduce gathering limits and place additional restrictions on businesses “earlier than other jurisdictions.”
“We will not hesitate to shut down the economy in sections if necessary,” said McNeil. “It is imperative that all of us believe that COVID is next door to us.”
There have been 1,154 cases of COVID-19 detected in the province to date, 1,065 of which are considered recovered as of Wednesday.
Officials say 65 people have died as a result of the virus.
No one is currently in hospital.