Eight new cases of COVID-19 in PEI

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

Four of the individuals are under the age of 10 years, two individuals are in their 20s and two individuals are in their 50s. 

Two individuals are close contacts of previously announced cases linked to the outbreak at West Royalty Elementary School in Charlottetown. 

Six individuals recently travelled outside Atlantic Canada. Contact tracing is complete, and they are self-isolating. 

There are public exposure notifications related to the cases: 

• Atlantic Superstore (465 University Avenue, Charlottetown)
  • Monday, September 13 from 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm
  • Wednesday, September 15 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
• Vogue Optical (5 Brackley Point Road, Charlottetown)
  • Wednesday, September 15 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm

Anyone who visited these locations during these times should monitor closely for symptoms of COVID-19, and if any develop, visit a drop-in testing clinic. 

There are also two flight notifications related to the cases:

• Air Canada flight 638 from Montreal to Charlottetown on Wednesday, September 15
• West Jet flight 630 from Calgary to Charlottetown on Thursday, September 16

Anyone who travelled on these flights are asked to closely monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and if any develop, visit a drop-in testing clinic. 

A reminder that all students, teachers, and staff at École La-Belle-Cloche who are identified as close contacts of the case announced Thursday, September 16 will be contacted directly by public health for isolation and testing instructions.  Close contacts of this case will be asked to get tested on Monday, September 20 at the Charlottetown Testing Clinic (64 Park Street) between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm or at the Montague Testing Clinic (14 Rosedale Road) between 9:30 am – 2:00 pm.  

All students and staff at École La-Belle-Cloche who are not identified as close contacts should monitor themselves for symptoms, and if they experience any symptoms get tested and self-isolate until they receive a negative result.  

A public update on the results of the school-wide testing at West Royalty Elementary School will be provided on Saturday, September 18.

Prince Edward Island currently has 43 active cases of COVID-19 and has had 278 positive cases since the pandemic began.

Any Island resident or visitor experiencing even mild symptoms of COVID-19 should be tested and take extra precautions until more is known about the extent of COVID-19 transmission in PEI. 

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 make an appointment to receive their COVID-19 vaccination at one of the public clinics online or by calling 1-844-975-3303; those age 18 years or older can also make an appointment by contacting one of the 28 partner pharmacies across the province. Every Islander in the target age range will have the opportunity to be vaccinated in 2021.

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.

For the latest information about Prince Edward Island’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit: COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Prince Edward Island.

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
• 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