COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Friday, Aug. 7

The unemployment rate on P.E.I. fell 3.5 percentage points in July, but the drop was caused by an increase in part-time work and thousands leaving the labour force.

If the stress of working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic is causing problems with your family relationships, the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy is ready to help.

Summerside has built picnic stations in its downtown to encourage takeout from local restaurants.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison and director of English education Tamara Hubley-Little took questions from CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin about plans for going back to school in the fall.

P.E.I. restaurants had their busiest weekend last weekend since they reopened after the COVID-19 lockdown, and some had to turn away customers, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The annual Art in the Open festival says it will be back this year despite COVID-19, with "Big, bold, ambitious art installations that can be viewed from a distance, that people can experience at multiple different levels."

Charlottetown police are cracking down on motorcycle noise and speed in the downtown core — they're getting an influx of complaints from residents this summer, and attribute that to more people being home because of the pandemic.

The Island has no active cases of COVID-19. The province has reported a total of 36 cases, with no deaths or hospitalizations.

Also in the news

• New numbers show Prince Edward Island business closures, which had been hovering around 200 a month for more than a year, shot to 428 in April as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
• The pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Montague is anticipating the need for back-to-school help will be up this year due to COVID-19.
• The P.E.I. government announced its back-to-school plan for September.

Further resources

• Here is information for living with the COVID-19 pandemic on P.E.I. — including information on government relief programs, physical distancing measures, and essential health services.
• Here is a chart tracking COVID-19 numbers and a timeline of COVID-19-related events on P.E.I.

More COVID-19 stories from CBC P.E.I.