P.E.I. still monitoring hundreds of people in self-isolation

There are close to 700 people currently in self-isolation on P.E.I., with hundreds more due to start arriving next week. 

The Chief Public Health Office has contracted Charlottetown-based call centre Vision Research to do the calls to ensure people are following the rules.

People in self-isolation are getting check-in calls daily.

Laura Lee Noonan of Health PEI said if they don't get an answer, they will try to reach the person's listed support person.

"I have to say it's primarily because the cell service is bad in the place where the person is self-isolating," said Noonan of occasions when they haven't received an answer to their calls.

It's unusual to have to go so far as to send enforcement personnel to the property, she said.

Only about 18-20 fines have been issued so far, she said. Most of those came from complaints, and the person was found either not at their residence or found in a place where they should not have been.

Remind people 'in a nice way'

Vision Research is currently hiring more staff for when seasonal residents start arriving next week. Noonan said the province plans to have capacity to reach another 500 people daily with the check-in calls.

The province has been flooded with calls from people who want to visit their summer properties, and upon their arrival on P.E.I. all of those people must self-isolate for 14 days and will be monitored.

Noonan said neighbours can play a role in making sure people are self-isolating.

"We can always remind individuals of the importance of self-isolation and we can do that in a nice way," she said.

"We don't necessarily always have to report somebody, unless you see there's a blatant non-compliance happening."

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