COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Thursday, June 24
More than 80% of Islanders are now vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least one dose
Prince Edward Island marked an important milestone Thursday, confirming 80.1 per cent of people over 12 have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
In an interview Thursday with CBC News: Compass, P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison discussed the PEI Pass and reaching the 80-per-cent vaccination milestone.
P.E.I.'s Department of Health says the province's mobile mental health crisis response service should be ready for a full launch by early fall, after shifting responsibility for it from Health PEI to Medavie Health Services, the private company responsible for ambulance service on P.E.I.
The Prince Edward Island lieutenant-governor's office is awarding a special coin to Islanders who have done good deeds for their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meetings and Conventions Prince Edward Island has launched a new campaign called the "double bubble" promotion to attract Atlantic Canadian groups to the Island. Incentives include discounts on rooms, extra Canada's Food Island gift cards, Northumberland Ferries passes and vouchers for rounds of golf.
The P.E.I. Student Drama Festival took to the stage virtually in 2021, with class performances professionally filmed and edited and then posted online.
P.E.I.'s Matt Corcoran learned to play guitar during the pandemic and has been entertaining people on social media with his cover songs, including an Island version of I've been Everywhere which has gone viral, in which he names dozens of Island communities.
Police made arrests as they moved to disperse a large group of protesters at the main border crossing between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, just a day after a demonstration around border restrictions began. Some Islanders were caught up in the traffic jam there for hours.
The City of Charlottetown announced that it will be celebrating Canada Day with in-person celebrations this summer — though things will be different than usual, with COVID-19 restrictions in place.
P.E.I. chief of nursing Marion Dowling spoke to CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin about second vaccine doses: what Islanders are getting, how to book and some technical glitches in the process. She also said Islanders may get a different mRNA vaccine as their second dose
Islanders still looking to book their first COVID-19 vaccine shot now have 26 pharmacies across P.E.I. from which to choose, according to a government news release.
Also in the news
- A P.E.I. sand sculptor won the top prize at a U.S. contest for his personal sculpture called Empty.
- Grade 9 students at East Wiltshire Intermediate created a new trail on their school property.
- A P.E.I. family is pleading for health officials to agree to fund a hemophilia drug called Hemlibra.
- The P.E.I. Nurses' Union is raising concerns about the cost to the province of using a private agency to cover nursing shifts at Summerside's Prince County Hospital.
These Islanders are currently eligible for a vaccine
- People over 12.
- Islanders over 18 can book an appointment for Moderna vaccine at a pharmacy.
You can find more information about how to get a vaccine here.
Further resources
- Here is a chart of COVID-19 cases on P.E.I. since March 2020, and a timeline of pandemic events.
- Here is a look at how coronavirus is spreading across Canada.
Reminder about symptoms
The symptoms of COVID-19 can include:
- Fever.
- Cough or worsening of a previous cough.
- Possible loss of taste and/or smell.
- Sore throat.
- New or worsening fatigue.
- Headache.
- Shortness of breath.
- Runny nose.