COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Thursday, June 3

P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Office reported two new cases of COVID-19 on the Island Thursday, and the Island's privacy commissioner is OK with asking about vaccination records.

2 new cases Thursday, and P.E.I.'s vaccine rollout is going smoothly, says Marion Dowling

CBC News · Posted: Jun 03, 2021 5:50 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 3, 2021

When P.E.I. ferries start carrying non-commercial traffic, expected later this month, people arriving will be asked whether they have been vaccinated. (Laura Chapin/CBC)

Prince Edward Island's Chief Public Health Office reported two new cases of COVID-19 in P.E.I. Thursday. Both people, one in their 20s and one between the age of 10 and 19 recently travelled outside Atlantic Canada.

Cohorts may remain in place for Prince Edward Island students younger than 12 when they return to school classrooms in the fall of 2021, Health PEI told CBC News.

The P.E.I. government has the right to ask for proof of vaccination at the border, says the provincial privacy commissioner.

P.E.I. Chief of Nursing Marion Dowling says Island vaccine rates are on target, with 60 per cent of its targeted population 12 and over having received at least one dose.

P.E.I.'s tourism minister says he's confident the Island will have a successful tourism season despite reopening its borders to Canadian travellers later than New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Westjet is still planning a return to Charlottetown Airport later this month, but with fewer flights. (Brian Higgins/CBC)

However, some businesses are warning the tourism season on P.E.I. could be worse than 2020's, and they are urging Ottawa not to decrease wage subsidies.

A group of P.E.I. businesses has sent a letter to the province voicing concerns around the upcoming tourist season and how it puts them at a "clear disadvantage" with provinces that are reopening sooner.

Car rental companies on P.E.I. have seen drops in business of more than 70 per cent during the pandemic.

There have been 204 cases of COVID-19 on P.E.I. and four are considered active. There have been no deaths and two hospitalizations.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic region Wednesday:

Nova Scotia reported 25 new cases and confirmed its youngest COVID-19 fatality so far, a man in his 30s. There are 273 active cases.
New Brunswick has 16 new cases, and 146 active cases. A person in their 70s alsodied of COVID-19 in the Fredericton region.
Newfoundland and Labrador confirmed six new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 90 active cases.

Also in the news

The Charlottetown Airport Authority says P.E.I.'s reopening plans are having a negative impact on the number of flights being scheduled for at least the early part of the summer.
Twenty-four people displaced by a fire at a Charlottetown motel were self-isolating under public health orders and have been safely moved to another location, says P.E.I.'s fire inspector.
Island residents in the 18-29 age bracket who received AstraZeneca-Oxford from a P.E.I. pharmacy and are due for their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine will be getting a call to discuss options, says Erin MacKenzie, executive director of the P.E.I. Pharmacists Association.
Vaccination rates for staff at some P.E.I. seniors homes are lower than goal of 85 per cent, and health officials are working to get those numbers up.

These Islanders are currently eligible for a vaccine

People over 12.
Islanders over 18 can book an appointment for a 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.