COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Monday, July 6

Prince Edward Island reported no new cases of COVID-19 Monday, but close contacts of the five cases announced on the weekend are being monitored closely, P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said in a news briefing.

The new cases bring the province's COVID-19 total to 32, with 27 considered recovered.

Contact tracing is underway in connection with cases of COVID-19 on P.E.I. that appear to have originated with a man now in Nova Scotia who had recently been in the U.S.

One of the new cases is a staff member at Whisperwood Villa, a private long-term care facility. All of the tests done for COVID-19 at Whisperwood Villa so far have come back negative and re-testing will be done later this week, Morrison said. 

Nova Scotia is now imposing stricter measures to ensure people from outside Atlantic Canada self-isolate upon entering the province.

Holland College is suspending five programs for the upcoming school year to "minimize the financial impact" of the pandemic.

The Rogers family of Rogers Communications is spending $540,000 to support vulnerable individuals and families during the pandemic.

Also in the news

• A P.E.I. counsellor talks about personal lessons from the pandemic, and what we should be looking for in the new normal.
• The P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation's seven sites are now open with new protocols in place adhering to COVID-19 restrictions.
• Some Island parents are raising concerns about missing details in the province's back to school plan.
• One woman is using COVID-19 as a reason to visit every lighthouse on the Island.

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.