New case of COVID-19, new public exposure sites on P.E.I. Friday

Public health officials on Prince Edward Island reported one new case of COVID-19 and three new possible exposure sites in a news release issued late Friday afternoon. 

The person is in their 30s and had recently travelled outside Atlantic Canada, the release said. The person tested positive through routine testing and is self-isolating. Contact tracing is underway.

The release also listed three sites linked to the new case where Islanders may have been exposed to the virus. 

They are: 

• Pilot House restaurant in Charlottetown on Monday, May 3, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. (seek a test on Saturday, May 8).
• Montana's restaurant in Charlottetown on Thursday, May 6, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (seek a test on Sunday, May 9).
• Home Hardware at 115 St. Peters Road in Charlottetown on Wednesday, May 5 from 10:30 am to 11:30 a.m. (Note: The province issued a correction Monday morning to this exposure time). 

Officials are asking anyone who was at Pilot House or Montana's during those times to get tested on the date noted above. If anyone who visited either location is symptomatic, they should self-isolate until a negative result is received.

The dates of testing are based on the time between when you are potentially exposed to a case of COVID-19 and when a test would detect any viral material in your body.

Anyone who was at Home Hardware during the noted times on Thursday does not need to be tested, officials said, but should monitor closely for symptoms. If any develop, people should visit a drop-in testing site and self-isolate until a negative result is received.

In an email to CBC News on Friday, the Chief Public Health Office said warnings issued about sites in such cases "are based on a risk assessment conducted by CPHO in consideration of the type of exposure, length of exposure and other precautions in place in the exposure location."

"If the risk of exposure is considered low, then individuals are asked to monitor for symptoms for the next 14 days and get tested if symptoms develop," the email said. "If the risk of exposure is considered to be higher, individuals who were in the public place at specified times are asked to proactively seek testing."

Prince Edward Island currently has 10 active cases of COVID-19. The province has had 186 positive cases since the pandemic began.

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.

More from CBC P.E.I.