COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Wednesday, April 14

The reopening of the Atlantic bubble has been delayed until May 3, the four Atlantic premiers said in a joint statement released shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Tourism officials on Prince Edward Island are calling for more information about what the province plans to do if New Brunswick cases continue to rise over the next two weeks, with some backing the idea of a bubble that includes only P.E.I., Nova Scotia and possibly Newfoundland and Labrador. 

Islanders are sharing their thoughts about the delayed bubble. 

Funeral directors are welcoming a relaxing of rules that will now allow two cohorts of 50 people each at P.E.I. memorial services. That doubles the number of mourners who will be allowed to gather to support a grieving family; receptions are still not permitted, though. 

If you were thinking about buying a boat this year, to get you through another COVID-slowed spring and summer, you might already be too late.

About 80 per cent of the workers at the Atlantic Beef Products plant in Albany, P.E.I., have taken advantage of COVID-19 vaccinations offered to them as essential workers.

P.E.I.'s annual festivals and exhibitions are making efforts to put something on this summer, but the events won't be as big as in previous years.

For the second year in a row, Ramadan on P.E.I. will look a little different because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prince Edward Island has had 165 known cases of COVID-19. Six are active.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic region:

• New Brunswick has 16 new COVID-19 cases, 14 of them in the Edmundston zone near the border with Quebec, for a total of 141 active cases. Multiple new exposure warnings have been issued in several zones.

• Newfoundland and Labrador reported three new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, all travel-related. There are 14 active cases, as officials continue to investigate the source of a small cluster on Newfoundland's west coast.  

• Nova Scotia now has two new cases for a total of 42 active and 1,783 cumulative confirmed cases. In a related development, an oil tanker is anchored off Cape Breton over concerns of a possible COVID-19-related sickness on board.

Also in the news

• The 2021 Memorial Cup has been cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, with the Charlottetown Islanders sitting atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League standings.
• University and college convocations are going ahead on P.E.I., but they'll still look different than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Larger weddings may be possible on P.E.I. this summer.
• There will be no cruise ships visiting P.E.I. this year but Port Charlottetown is optimistic about 2022, with bookings in place for a record number of visitors.

These Islanders are currently eligible for a vaccine

• People over 55.
• Islanders 40-59 years of age with underlying medical conditions, and all eligible members of their household.
• People providing health care services to the public — including optometrists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists — and their support staff.
• 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.

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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