3 out-of-province Nova Scotians have U.K. variant

Nova Scotia reported three cases of the U.K. variant of COVID-19 on Thursday but the people involved are not in the province and have no known close contacts here.

The cases must be added to the province's official tally because they are Nova Scotia residents, the Health Department said in a news release Thursday.

Two are residents of the eastern health zone and a third is from the western zone.

This brings the official total of U.K. variants in Nova Scotia to 44. The number of South

African variant cases remains at 10.

"Today the restrictions on the New Brunswick border have been reinstated," said Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin said in the release.

"Our strong adherence to public health protocols has helped us limit the spread of the virus and it is important that we remain diligent to keep our communities safe."

Nova Scotia has 42 active cases of COVID-19, which is unchanged from yesterday. Another person has been hospitalized with the virus for a total of four.

Since Oct. 1 there have been 697 positive COVID-19 cases, 654 resolved cases and one death.

Nova Scotia Health Authority's labs completed 2,770 Nova Scotia tests on April 14.

As of April 14, 182,867 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 31,998 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

In a tweet Thursday afternoon, the Health Department said more than 13,000 doses were administered on Wednesday, a one-day record.

"By following the public health measures and making testing part of our regular COVID-19 prevention measures we are working to limit the spread of the virus and protect our loved ones," Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, said in the release.

"It's very important to wear a mask, wash your hands, maintain physical distance, adhere to the gathering limits and stay home if you are feeling unwell."

Nova Scotians are strongly encouraged to seek asymptomatic COVID-19 testing, particularly if they have a large number of close contacts due to their work or social activities. Appointments can be booked at https://covid-self-assessment. novascotia.ca/en.