COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Friday, April 23

Late Friday, Prince Edward Island imposed new travel restrictions because of rising COVID-19 case numbers in the Atlantic region. People travelling within the Atlantic region on a same-day exemption from having to isolate for 14 days are the most affected.

Online gambling, which the province agreed to launch during the pandemic, is associated with higher levels of risky gambling behaviour and harm according to a report commissioned by Atlantic Lottery Corporation and obtained by CBC News.

The province announced it would slightly extend hours at its Borden-Carleton COVID-19 testing site, after some P.E.I. truckers complained about lack of access to testing, saying clinic hours do not recognize the reality of the hours they are working.

P.E.I. is about a week away from the start of another lobster season during the COVID-19 pandemic, and feeling much more comfortable about facing the challenges.

The 2021 East Coast Music Awards scheduled for May 5 to 9 in Sydney, N.S., will now be held virtually. 

The federal government will send double the amount of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to P.E.I. expected in May and June. 

Liberal MLA Robert Henderson is calling on the government to put more money into provincial home renovation programs because of the rising cost of building supplies during the pandemic.

P.E.I. reported no new cases of COVID-19 Friday. There are 11 active cases and 175 cases since the pandemic began 13 months ago.There have been two hospitalizations and no deaths.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic region Friday:

• Nova Scotia reported 44 new cases Friday. There are 150 active cases as Halifax and some other parts of the province enter a four-week period of increased public health measures. 
• New Brunswick has 16 new cases, and there are 148 active cases, including five people in intensive care.
• Newfoundland and Labrador confirmed one new case of COVID-19 and has 23 active cases. 

Also in the news

• A pregnant P.E.I. woman is urging the province to prioritize pregnant women for the vaccine.
• Public Safety Minister Bloyce Thompson is defending the job his department is doing at deciding who does — and does not — get to travel to P.E.I. 
• After a "wonderful turnout" administering the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine last week, pharmacists on P.E.I. are reporting a significant drop in appointments.
• Nearly three-quarters of Health PEI's 6,000 staff members have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, P.E.I.'s premier said in the legislature Wednesday.
• The North Shore community of North Rustico is cancelling most of its major Canada Day events this year to comply with public health restrictions.
• This year's UPEI nursing graduates have a lot of options to choose from as they enter the workforce. Nurses in Atlantic Canada are being asked to help as the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hits Ontario hard — and some on P.E.I. are starting to step forward.

These Islanders are currently eligible for a vaccine

• People over 50.
• Islanders over 16 with underlying medical conditions, and all eligible members of their household.
• Frontline workers over 16 who interact with the public and cannot work virtually.
• People providing health care services to the public — including optometrists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists — and their support staff.
• Non-frontline health care workers needed to maintain health care system capacity
• Firefighters, police officers, power-line workers.
• Residents and staff of long-term care homes.
• Adults living in Indigenous communities.
• Residents and staff of shared living facilities.
• Truck drivers and other rotational workers.

You can find more information about how to get a vaccine here.

Further resources

• Here is a chart of COVID-19 cases on P.E.I. since March 2020, and a timeline of pandemic events.
• Here is a look at how coronavirus is spreading across Canada.

Reminder about symptoms

The symptoms of COVID-19 can include:

• Fever.
• Cough or worsening of a previous cough.
• Possible loss of taste and/or smell.
• Sore throat.
• New or worsening fatigue.
• Headache.
• Shortness of breath.
• Runny nose.

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