COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Thursday, May 6

Public health officials announced two more cases of COVID-19 on P.E.I. Thursday, along with three new public exposure sites.

Premier Dennis King, Dr. Heather Morrison and P.E.I.'s Chief of Nursing Marion Dowling all received their first doses of COVID-19 vaccine at a mass clinic at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown.

Some of P.E.I.'s female prisoners are now serving their time at a facility in Summerside built to house young prisoners, rather than at the Provincial Correctional Centre, where crowding is a concern during the pandemic.

In the first quarter of 2021, the value of building permits for multiple-unit dwellings on P.E.I. fell 37 per cent, while single-family dwelling permits were up 210 per cent, which concerns P.E.I. Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker.

With sales of its alcohol down about 70 per cent last year, Deep Roots Distillery says it was saved by the opportunity to make hand sanitizer. 

P.E.I.'s Zack MacEwen, one of 21 Vancouver Canucks who tested positive for COVID-19, shares his experience with the disease.

Seasonal residents of P.E.I. have formed a non-profit corporation to help each other navigate the pandemic, but its president believes the group will be useful beyond that.

P.E.I. has nine active cases of COVID-19. There have been 185 positive cases in total, with two hospitalizations and no deaths.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic region:

• Nova Scotia announced 182 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, and has 1,309 active cases.
• New Brunswick is reporting 11 new cases, and one death. That province's first confirmed case of the P1 variant was also announced. There are 142 active cases.
• Newfoundland and Labrador has five new COVID-19 cases. There are 58 active cases in the province. 

Also in the news

• Open Door Outreach, a P.E.I. group that helps women in jail get their lives back on track, has been kept out of the Provincial Correctional Centre by public health rules but is still finding a way to help.
• Charlottetown Airport highlighted optimism for the future at its annual general meeting, after its worst year ever during the pandemic in 2020.
• P.E.I.'s Home and School Federation wants outdoor learning to be part of the official curriculum so kids will get outside more often. 
• P.E.I. has been approached as a possible host for the International Ice Hockey Federation women's world championship Aug. 20-31.
• The owner of the Brackley Drive-in says he's optimistic but also concerned about the season ahead. The drive-in opened last weekend, its earliest yet.
• Conservation officers on P.E.I. are spending a lot of time following up on calls from the public about people allegedly entering the province illegally and others who aren't following public health measures.

These Islanders are currently eligible for a vaccine

• People over 30.
• Islanders over 16 with underlying medical conditions, and all eligible members of their household.
• Pregnant Islanders.
• Front-line workers over 16 who interact with the public and cannot work virtually.
• People providing health-care services to the public — including optometrists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists — and their support staff.
• Health-care workers not on the front line needed to maintain health-care system capacity
• Firefighters, police officers, power-line workers.
• Residents and staff of long-term care homes.
• Adults living in Indigenous communities.
• Residents and staff of shared living facilities.
• Truck drivers and other rotational workers.

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.

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