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

P.E.I. has implemented new measures to prevent the importation of COVID-19, and is advising Islanders to avoid non-essential travel off-Island. The tighter rules came as three new cases were confirmed on Monday, bringing the province's total of active cases to 13. 

Summerside police say five people have been charged for failing to self-isolate less than an hour after their arrival in P.E.I. on Friday night.

P.E.I. has two people in hospital with COVID-19, including one in ICU and a child under the age of 10.

Dr. Michael Gardam, COO of Health PEI, says he hopes the new measures will prevent further hospitalizations.

Federal intergovernmental affairs minister Dominic LeBlanc says Ottawa will not divert any COVID-19 vaccine doses from Atlantic Canada to Ontario without a clear consensus from provincial premiers.

Filmmakers on P.E.I. and across Atlantic Canada have been kept busy and employed over the past year with projects commissioned by the Bell-owned television channel Fibe TV1.

The Island has seen 173 cases of COVID-19. Thirteen are considered active. There have been two hospitalizations and no deaths.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic region Monday:

• New Brunswick has nine new COVID-19 cases Monday, for a total of 158 active cases. Provincewide, 21 people are hospitalized, with eight being treated in an intensive care unit. 
• Newfoundland and Labrador reported three new cases of COVID-19, after four new cases over the weekend, and has 25 active cases.  
• Nova Scotia is reporting 15 new cases, a daily number not seen since Dec. 4. There are 63 active cases in the province.

Also in the news

• Premier Dennis King said now is not the time for P.E.I. to discuss relinquishing any of its vaccine doses, as the Canadian Medical Association has urged lesser-impacted regions of Canada to do. 
• Lt.-Cmdr. Mitchell Drake took on a new job in March of 2020, and since then the Island-born physician's main task has been keeping Royal Canadian Navy members safe from COVID-19 while ensuring they remain mobile.
• Baseball players on the Island are looking forward to being able to play in tournaments when the season starts up again in May.
• About 600 people took part in a job fair hosted by the Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I. on Saturday afternoon.

These Islanders are currently eligible for a vaccine

• People over 55.
• People aged 50-54, with birthdays from January through April.
• Islanders over the age of 16 with underlying medical conditions, and all eligible members of their household.
• Frontline workers over the age of 40 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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