Seasonal residents now arriving on P.E.I.
‘We’re trying to make sure people have the support they need’
P.E.I. has approved 342 seasonal residents to arrive on P.E.I. this week.
P.E.I.'s borders are currently closed to most non-residents, but the province began accepting applications from seasonal residents June 1. In a pandemic briefing Tuesday, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison gave an update on those applications.
The province received more than 1,600 applications, Morrison said, and currently about 800 have been approved. Of those, 342 are due to arrive this week, and 175 next week. There are still about 700 applications to review.
Morrison reiterated that these seasonal residents are being called daily to ensure they are remaining in quarantine, adding those calls are also about making sure people are OK.
"We're trying to make sure people have the support they need during that period of self-isolation," said Morrison.
"We want to be kind to one another, and that includes everyone who is on Prince Edward Island."
Islanders should not be too concerned if they see a vehicle with out-of-province plates, she said.
She noted there are a lot of reasons someone could be driving without Island plates. The driver could be an essential worker, someone who just moved to P.E.I. as a permanent resident, or someone on the Island for compassionate reasons who has completed their self-isolation.
Regarding concerns about Quebecers driving across P.E.I. to get to the Magdalen Islands, she said people should remember a lot of Islanders drove through other provinces to get home in March and April.
She reminded Islanders to focus on the basics — handwashing, physical distancing, enhanced cleaning — and not be too concerned about the licence plate on someone's car.
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With files from Danny Arsenault