Islanders advised to avoid non-essential out of province travel

Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, is advising Island residents to avoid travel off Island, unless necessary. 

“Due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Atlantic Canada and across the country, Island residents should carefully consider travel outside of PEI at this time. Now is not the time for non-essential travel. To protect ourselves and our community it is extremely important to get vaccinated against COVID-19, to be tested if you are experiencing even mild symptoms, and to keep your circle of contacts small.”

- Dr. Heather Morrison

In addition to testing and isolation requirements that are already in place, there will be increased testing at points of entry for vaccinated and partially vaccinated individuals travelling to PEI from within Atlantic Canada and for Islanders returning home. People travelling to PEI who are not vaccinated will continue to be required to self-isolate for eight days with a negative test on day eight.

School-aged children who are under 12 years of age will continue to be tested at the points of entry or tested before returning to school and then at regular intervals.

Due to rising COVID-19 case numbers in New Brunswick, anyone who has traveled to NB for less than 48 hours will be asked to be tested upon return on day four and day eight. Anyone who has been in NB for more than 48 hours will be asked to be tested at entry points and again on day four and day eight.

The COVID-19 drop-in testing clinic in Charlottetown (64 Park Street) will extend their hours of operation today, Saturday, September 25 until 4:00 pm to accommodate the increased testing. 

Anyone age 12 years and over can drop in to receive their COVID-19 vaccination at one of the Health PEI vaccination clinics; those age 18 years or older can also visit one of the 28 partner pharmacies across the province.

Islanders who need to travel out of the province for essential purposes are reminded to follow routine public health measures in the area they are visiting and follow any testing and isolation requirements on return to PEI.

Prince Edward Island currently has 39 active cases of COVID-19 and has had 293 positive cases since the pandemic began.

As of Wednesday, September 22, a total of 251,706 doses of vaccine have been administered in PEI; 93.2 per cent of the eligible population have received at least one dose of vaccine and 85.7 per cent received two doses.

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.

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.