The province is reporting 61 new cases of COVID-19 today.

There are 33 new cases in the Northern Zone, with 24 in the Central Zone and four in the Western Zone.

The province says there’s a new cluster of cases in a small community in the Northern Zone and there’s also evidence of limited community spread in Halifax and parts of northern Nova Scotia.

31 recoveries are also being reported today, bringing the total number of confirmed active cases in the province to 200.

None of those cases are in the Regional Municipality.

13 people in the province are now in hospital with the virus, including four people in intensive care. 

Premier Tim Houston says he’s been told there will be few service disruptions in jobs where provincial civil servants have to have at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by today.

Houston says vaccination rates are very high among civil servants.  

Those who don’t have at least one dose will be going on unpaid leave starting tomorrow.

Some of the affected jobs are showing slightly higher vaccination and reporting rates compared to figures released last week.

The rates of full vaccination range from 94.5 percent with over 97% reporting in daycare to 99.7 percent with a hundred percent reporting among paramedics.

The province says 134 human rights exemption requests were made and only two were granted.

18 of 49 medical exemption requests were granted.

The province says it’s ending the use of birth alerts, effective immediately.

Birth alerts are written notifications by child welfare agencies to hospital staff about an expectant parent when there are significant risks during the pregnancy.

Community Services Minister Karla MacFarlane says birth alerts have had a disproportionate effect on indigenous and African Nova Scotian families and marginalized women.

The decision to end the practice follows a recommendation made by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

The Community Services Department has created a Family Connections Co-ordinator position to support expectant families who are struggling or have multiple needs that put them at risk.

Participation in the program is voluntary.

The Cape Breton Eagles say head coach Jake Grimes has resigned, effective immediately for personal and family reasons.

The team says no one from the Eagles organization will be commenting further on the resignation.

Assistant coach Matt Anthony has been appointed interim head coach and John Hanna has been appointed interim assistant coach.

Chris Culligan will stay in his position of assistant coach.

The team says the search for a new head coach is underway.

Today is the deadline for civil servants in the province to have at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

The province says workers without an exemption who don’t have a first dose by today will face employment consequences, including unpaid leave.

Last week, the government reported 95 per cent of Health Authority workers were fully vaccinated with four per cent partially vaccinated and 90 per cent reporting.

95 per cent of long-term care workers were also fully vaccinated with three per cent partially vaccinated and 95 per cent reporting.

And, 97 per cent of education workers were fully vaccinated with two per cent partially vaccinated and 90 per cent reporting.