COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening the week of March 27

The Opposition is urging the P.E.I. government to maintain requirements that students, teachers and other staff members wear masks in Island schools and on school buses. The province has indicated it will likely lift a province-wide mask mandate on April 7, when it plans to further ease remaining COVID-19 restrictions.

MLAs are creating a double standard regarding mask use by removing masks in the legislature, say Green MLAs.

UPEI is planning to go ahead with in-person exams, but will accommodate students who are sick.

P.E.I. Premier Dennis King announced he had tested positive for COVID-19 in a Tweet published Wednesday morning.

A group of researchers advising the Canadian government is recommending people continue to wear masks in high-risk settings — even if provincial health officials drop mask mandates. Watch video here.

COVID-19 is presenting challenges so dire for P.E.I.'s six French daycares that some are asking parents to volunteer to keep their children home if daycares don't have enough staff.

Charlottetown's Masjid Dar As-Salam will be open for Ramadan celebrations for the first time in two years.

P.E.I. reported two COVID-related deaths in its weekly update on Tuesday. The two deaths are the first the province has reported since the end of February.

The province is closing its dedicated cough and fever clinics for COVID-19 at the end of the month. See below for more information if you need treatment for COVID-19.

There are signs tourists will be back this summer, but they are going to have trouble renting a car.

The anti viral treatment Paxlovid is helping keep Islanders out of hospital, says Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison.

Cattle farmers were pleased to have the chance to show off their steers last weekend for the first Easter Beef Show that was open to the public in three years.

Thirteen people were being treated at hospitals for COVID-19 as of Tuesday, including one in the ICU.

Six others who had been hospitalized for other reasons had also tested positive. There was an average of 350 new cases per day over the seven days prior to Tuesday.

Elsewhere in Atlantic Canada

• As of Friday, pharmacists in New Brunswick will be administering nearly all COVID-19 shots after mass vaccination clinics conducted by the regional health authorities were shut down on Thursday. 
• Nova Scotia announced most elective and non-urgent surgeries at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax will be cancelled as of Monday because of the number of people with COVID-19 in hospital and the number of staff off from work.
• With COVID-19 restrictions lifted and cases rising, first responders in Newfoundland and Labrador are bracing for the impact.

Top news from last week

• With the province recently deciding to lift its vaccine or testing policy order for front-line public service workers, it's expected other employers will also re-examine their vaccine mandates — something the City of Summerside is already planning. 
• MLA Hal Perry is questioning P.E.I.'s tourism strategy marketing the Island as a safe place to visit given the rate at which Islanders are being infected with COVID-19.
• The impact of COVID-19 on the health-care system will be key in determining if restrictions will be lifted further, says Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison.
• The changes are causing one Islander's chronic social anxiety to ramp back up.

Other helpful stories

• A timeline of pandemic events on P.E.I.
• 25 events shaping the first 2 years of the pandemic on P.E.I.
• How to treat yourself at home if you get COVID-19
• Here is the latest pandemic mask advice
• Your COVID-19 rapid test is positive. Now what?
• P.E.I. government bringing back pandemic supports for workers
• My family caught COVID-19. Here's what I wish I'd known
• Why COVID-19 vaccination exemptions are rare on P.E.I.

When and where to seek care if you have COVID

P.E.I. is closing its specialized cough and fever clinics for COVID-19 at the end of March. Primary care will pass to your doctor, nurse practitioner or a walk-in clinic.

Mild cases can be treated at home with rest.

If you are immunosuppressed or over the age of 50, you can call your primary care provider or 811 within the first five days of your COVID-19 symptoms to see if you may benefit from an antiviral medicine.

If you are concerned about your symptoms, you may also arrange an appointment with your doctor, nurse practitioner or a walk-in clinic. You may also call 811 to consult about your symptoms.

If your symptoms are so severe you don't believe you can wait for an appointment then go to the emergency at your local hospital. If you do not feel you can travel to the hospital safely on your own, call 911.

These Islanders are currently eligible for a vaccine

• Anyone aged five and up.
• Third shots are available for Islanders 12 and older, six months following their second shot.
• Islanders can book an appointment to receive the vaccine at a pharmacy or a public health clinic.
• You can find more information about how to get a vaccine here.

Reminder about symptoms

The symptoms of COVID-19 can include:

• New or worsening cough.
• Fever and/or chills.
• Sore throat.
• Runny nose, sneezing or congestion.
• Headache.
• Muscle, joint or body aches.
• Feeling unwell or unusually tired.
• Acute loss of sense of smell or taste.