COVID-19 outbreak at Nova Scotia’s St. FX university reaches total of 114 cases

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia reported 123 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, including 55 more cases linked to an ongoing outbreak at St. Francis Xavier University.

Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health, said the latest figures brought the total number related to the university's X-Ring graduation ceremony held last weekend in Antigonish, N.S., to 114.

The provincial numbers included 56 cases in the Halifax area, 60 in the eastern zone, which includes Antigonish, six in the northern zone and one in the western zone.

Strang said a number of the new cases reported in the Halifax area are likely related to the university outbreak because some people travelled to the school from the capital last weekend, while students who live in Antigonish but are from Halifax are recorded in the central zone because of the address on their provincial health card.

Strang said it is still the case that those infected in the outbreak are experiencing relatively mild symptoms, and the cases are mostly among young people who are fully vaccinated.

He said the contact tracing effort is looking for evidence of secondary spread related to the outbreak in other communities where people may have had close contacts related to the school.

In a change in policy, Strang said anyone who has been identified as a close contact of someone linked to the outbreak is now asked to quarantine for three days even if they are fully vaccinated. They are then asked to seek a PCR lab test and get a negative result before leaving isolation.

“Because of the pattern of what we are seeing — of fairly easy transmission and cases where people are fully vaccinated — we are going back to what we used to do,” Strang said.

And although he warned to expect even more cases in the days ahead, Strang said the outbreak is likely approaching its peak. “Then we should start to see things decrease,” he said.

Meanwhile, St. FX moved ahead with its pre-holiday examination period Friday after cancelling the start because of a snowstorm on Thursday.

Cindy MacKenzie, the university's manager of media relations, said in an email that faculty were giving exams either in person, online or take home. As of mid-afternoon, she said about 40 per cent of exams had been moved online or take home. She added that students are also being given the option of deferring their exams until January.

In an interview Thursday, university president Andy Hakin said while what was being offered wasn't perfect, students at least have options. “At a time of anxiety, it is best to give people as many options as you can,” he said.

Elsewhere in the town of about 4,000, restaurant owner Mark Gabrieau said the outbreak is having a devastating effect on many local businesses, including his own.

The owner of Gabrieau's Bistro said his business began to dry up soon after the cluster of COVID-19 cases at the university was announced earlier this week. He said his 60-seat restaurant had no dine-in customers Tuesday through Thursday, although it managed to do some takeout and delivery business.

He said with anxiety high, he's already lost three Christmas parties set for this weekend and another four scheduled for next week. All told, he estimates the restaurant has lost about $35,000 in revenue.

“The hit that we are taking is more than 50 per cent of our monthly sales,” Gabrieau said.

He said while he supports the university's decision to hold the X-Ring ceremony, he wonders whether it went a little too far in allowing other sanctioned events and parties on campus. “They allowed things to take place on the campus, which gave the perfect environment for this to happen,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2021.

— With files by Michael MacDonald in Halifax

Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press