HALIFAX — Residents living near a poultry plant in Berwick, N.S, should get tested for COVID-19, provincial public health officials said on Saturday.

The notice came a day after an announcement that the Eden Valley Poultry plant would be closed for at least two weeks because cases of the virus were detected there.

As of Saturday, six employees had tested positive. All were self-isolating until they could be retested in the coming week.

People living in areas from New Minas to Middleton should be tested as a precaution and there was no evidence currently of community transmission, officials said. 

"I want to thank everyone at Eden Valley Poultry for working with public health in efforts to contain the virus," Premier Stephen McNeil said in a statement.

Seven new infections were reported in Nova Scotia on Saturday, and 61 cases were active in the province.

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, said he was pleased with a drop in the number of cases.

"While these results show our approach is working, they also tell us we need to continue to follow the public health measures that are in place," Strang said.

Officials in Newfoundland and Labrador reported three new cases of COVID-19 Saturday. Two were said to be travel related, while the source of the third infection was under investigation. There were 23 active cases in the province.

New Brunswick reported one new case of coronavirus disease on Saturday. The person in their 20s in the Saint John region, was self-isolating, officials said. 

There were currently 72 active cases in New Brunswick, with four people in hospital, including three in intensive care.

The Edmundston region in the northwest of the province was moved into the orange level of COVID-19 recovery Saturday after the number of cases doubled in just five days. 

Public Health officials in Prince Edward Island reported five new positive cases of COVID-19 in the province Saturday. 

Chief medical officer of health, Dr. Heather Morrison said all five cases are travel related and all five are self-isolating.  

"This is a clear indication that self-isolation upon return from travel, along with the other strong public health measures and protocols that we have put into place to keep Islanders safe from COVID-19 are working," Morrison said in a statement.

The province has 17 active cases of COVID-19 and has had a total of 89 cases since the pandemic began.

— By Kevin Bissett in Fredericton.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2020

The Canadian Press