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

P.E.I. is reporting five new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. In a second statement late in the day, the province said a child-care centre in Eastern P.E.I. is no longer considered a potential exposure site and can reopen on Thursday as usual.

5 new cases announced Wednesday

CBC News · Posted: May 19, 2021 5:49 AM EDT | Last Updated: May 19, 2021

P.E.I. is waiting for national advice on what people who received AstraZeneca as a first dose should get for their second shot, and on what to do with its current stock of the vaccine. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press)

P.E.I. is reporting five new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. In a second statement late in the day, the province said a child-care centre in eastern P.E.I. is no longer considered a potential exposure site and can reopen on Thursday as usual.

The federal government is investing up to $3,461,798 in 12 initiatives throughout western P.E.I. to help the region's fish and seafood processing sector through challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canada's privacy commissioners are issuing a warning about vaccine passports, saying measures must be taken to ensure Canadians' personal information is protected.

P.E.I. is still waiting for updated advice from national officials about what second dose of COVID-19 vaccine should be given to Islanders who received a first dose of AstraZeneca-Oxford, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said during her regular weekly briefing Tuesday.

During the briefing, Premier Dennis King said the province will start processing applications for seasonal residents to come to the Island. Arrivals will begin June 8.

There have been 199 cases of COVID-19 on P.E.I. and 14 are considered active. There have been no deaths and two hospitalizations.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic region:

Nova Scotia reported 83 new cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths Wednesday. It has 1,262 active cases.
Newfoundland and Labrador reported three new cases, leaving the province with 78 active cases.
Eight new cases were confirmed in New Brunswick. It now has 116 active cases.

Also in the news

Following a case of COVID-19 at a daycare, people in the industry are saying government needs to do more to make sure paid sick leave is available for workers.
A CBC survey has found support for mandatory vaccinations for school staff among educators.
P.E.I. pharmacies stopped administering AstraZeneca-Oxford shots last week on the direction of the province. Pharmacists are now delivering first doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Islanders 40 and over.

These Islanders are currently eligible for a vaccine

People over 12.
Islanders over 40 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.