13 new cases of COVID-19

Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, has announced 13 new cases of COVID-19 in Prince Edward Island.   

These cases are still under investigation and contact tracing is underway. 

Positive cases have been linked to the following locations:

• Whisperwood Villa 
• Belfast Consolidated School
• Montague Consolidated School

The initial tests for all other residents and staff at Whisperwood Villa have been completed and are negative.

Testing Guidance:

Anyone identified as a close contact will be contacted directly by public health with instructions on testing and isolation requirements. 

The testing clinics are busy and demand is high.  Only those identified as close contacts, those with symptoms and those who are required to be tested related to recent travel should be tested. Individuals who are not a testing regimen, are not close contacts and are asymptomatic do not need to be tested.

There have been 65 new COVID-19 cases over the past four days in PEI. There have been 488 cases since the pandemic began. The number of active cases will be updated on Monday.

There are new flight exposure notifications: 

• Air Canada flight 8332 departing Toronto on Tuesday, December 14 and arriving in Charlottetown on December 15
• Air Canada flight 8218 departing Montreal on Saturday, December 11 and arriving in Charlottetown on Sunday, December 12
• Air Canada flight 8332 departing Toronto on Friday, December 17 and arriving in Charlottetown on December 18

Anyone who travelled on this flight should monitor closely for symptoms of COVID-19 and if any symptoms develop, visit a drop-in testing clinic. 

Testing is available tomorrow, Sunday, December 19, at the following locations:

• Charlottetown (64 Park Street) from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
• Borden - Carleton (20 Dickie Road) from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Wood Islands (198351 Weigh Station Road) from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Islanders are reminded that personal gathering limits are now 10 people plus household members.  Everyone is reminded of the importance of physical distancing, wearing a three-layer mask, getting tested when symptomatic and staying home when sick. 

As of Wednesday, December 15, 95.1 per cent of Island residents age 12 years and over have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 91.9 per cent are fully vaccinated with two doses. 29.9 per cent of children age 5-11 years have received their first dose. Over 11,000 people have received their third dose or booster of COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately 8,800 individuals are eligible for a booster and have not yet received their third dose. 

As always, all Islanders are urged to get tested if they experience any symptoms of COVID-19, even after a previous negative test, and to self-isolate until the results come back. Islanders are also encouraged to download the free national COVID Alert app, which will let them know if they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Anyone age 12 and over can receive their COVID-19 vaccination at one of the Health PEI clinics and those age 18 years or older can visit one of the 28 partner pharmacies across the province. Island children between the ages of five and 11 years can now receive their COVID-19 vaccination at Health PEI clinics.  

For information on PEI’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, including vaccine facts, immunization data and booking an appointment, visit: COVID-19 Vaccines. For answers to commonly asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, visit: Answers to Common COVID-19 Vaccine Questions.

Backgrounder:

The Chief Public Health Office continues to work closely with the federal government, provincial and territorial counterparts, government departments and Health PEI to monitor the pandemic situation and prepare for all COVID-19 related impacts to the province, including health, social and economic. The public health risk of COVID-19 is continually reassessed, and Islanders will be updated as new information becomes available.
 
Everyone is encouraged to follow routine prevention measures:

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water
• Cough and sneeze into your elbow or a tissue
• Get vaccinated
• Wear a non-medical mask in indoor places
• Stay home if you are not feeling well
• Limit touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Keep your circle of contacts small
• Physical distance - stay two meters (6 feet) apart
• Don’t share items like drinking glasses and water bottles
• Frequently clean surfaces like taps, doorknobs and countertops
• Visit a drop-in-clinic to be tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms

Media Contact:
Samantha Hughes
Health and Wellness
shughes@gov.pe.ca