Modified Red Restricted Measures for Prince Edward Island; five new cases announced
Premier Dennis King and Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison have announced new modified red level restricted measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 as the case count continues to rise in the province.
Effective midnight tonight, for a three-day period, ending at midnight on Wednesday, the entire province will move to red level measures, with some modifications.
The following measures are in place for the three-day period:
- No personal gatherings; each household can associate with two (2) other consistent individuals for essential support; individuals who live alone may associate with another household;
- Stay home as much as possible;
- No organized gatherings; funerals can have no more than ten (10) people (plus officiants);
- All recreational facilities are closed, including gyms, fitness facilities, bingo halls, casinos, museums, and libraries; no organized sports or recreation activities;
- Only essential businesses and services are permitted to be open to the public;
- Examples of services that can remain open to the public include: medical and dental services, child care; grocery stores, pharmacies, take-out and delivery of food, utility services, manufacturing and processing, transportation services, gas stations, banks and essential financial institutions, public safety services and liquor stores;
- For essential retail services, operation at 50% of standard operating capacity is permitted, with monitoring of entrances and exits to ensure capacity is not exceeded;
- Anyone with questions about what is considered essential can email depthw@gov.pe.ca or submit questions via webform. A phone number will be available tomorrow and will be posted on the website.
- Non-essential businesses, services and organizations that are closed to the public may continue to operate by phone, virtual services, delivery or pick up;
- No changes for long term care, residents are still permitted to have up to three partners in care and up to six visitors; and
- Schools, post-secondary institutions and training programs cross the province are closed.
Dr. Morrison announced five new cases in the province, for a total of 17 new cases in the past five days. Three of the new cases are linked to the outbreak in Charlottetown, one is linked to the outbreak in Summerside and one is not related to any other cases in PEI, but does have a recent history of travel outside of Atlantic Canada. All active cases are self-isolating and being followed daily by public health.
Over 190 people have been identified as close contacts of the cases, and this number is expected to continue to rise as contact tracing efforts continue. All close contacts are required to self-isolate for 14 days from their last known contact with the positive case, regardless of their test results.
There are additional public exposure locations related to these cases:
- Dominos in Summerside (505 Granville Street)
- Monday, February 15 between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm
- Monday, February 15 between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm
- Burger King in Summerside (511 Granville Street)
- Thursday, February 18 between 8:00 pm and 9:30 pm
- Thursday, February 18 between 8:00 pm and 9:30 pm
- City Bus #1 in Charlottetown
- Saturday, February 20 between 4:30 pm and 5:00 pm
- Saturday, February 20 between 4:30 pm and 5:00 pm
- Brickhouse Kitchen and Bar (125 Sydney Street)
- Sunday, February 21 between 2:00 pm and 3:00pm
- Sunday, February 21 between 2:00 pm and 3:00pm
- The Gahan House (126 Sydney Street)
- Monday, February 22 between 8:30 pm and 10:30pm
- Monday, February 22 between 8:30 pm and 10:30pm
- Taste of India in Charlottetown (129 Kent Street)
- Monday, February 22 between 10:30 am and 9:00 pm
- Thursday, February 25 between 11:00 am and 10:00 pm
- Friday, February 26 between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm
- Superstore in Charlottetown (465 University Avenue)
- Monday, February 22 between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm
- Wednesday, February 24 between 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm
- Junco Market in Charlottetown (161 Maypoint Road)
- Wednesday, February 24 between 5:00 pm and 5:30 pm
- Wednesday, February 24 between 5:00 pm and 5:30 pm
- Walmart in Charlottetown (80 Buchanan Drive)
- Wednesday, February 24 between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm
- Saturday, February 27 between 2:00 pm and 2:30 pm
- Christmas Discounters in Summerside (505 Granville Street)
- Thursday, February 25 between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm
Individuals who were at any of the public exposure locations on the specified dates and times should immediately self-isolate and be tested for COVID-19. Following an initial negative test, individuals do not need to continue self-isolating but must monitor themselves closely and be tested if any symptoms develop.
For a complete list of recent public exposure notifications, visit: Potential COVID-19 Exposures. Any additional exposures will be added to the provincial website and be posted on social media.
Dr. Morrison is reminding all Islanders to get tested if they experience any symptoms of COVID-19, and self-isolate until the results come back.
Details of additional testing clinics are as follows:
- Clinics open on Sunday, February 28 until 8:00 pm:
- The Montague Legion Clinic
- The Slemon Park Clinic in Summerside
- The Three Oaks Clinic for youth in the Summerside area, age 14 to 29, without symptoms of COVID-19
- The Charlottetown Testing Clinic on Park Street
- Expanded testing clinic hours for Monday, March 1:
- The Charlottetown Clinic on Park Street is open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
- A clinic will be set up in Stratford Town Hall for people age 19 to 29 who do not have symptoms and work in the restaurant industry from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm
- The Montague Legion Clinic is open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
- The Slemon Park Clinic in Summerside is open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
- The O’Leary Clinic at the O’Leary Health Centre is open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
- The Three Oaks Clinic will be open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm for people who do not have any symptoms of COVID-19 and a clinic will be set up in Stratford Town Hall for people age 19 to 29 who do not have symptoms.
- The clinics for those age 19 to 29 in Stratford and at Three Oaks are meant for individuals who work in the food service industry, meat and fish processing plants, call centres, transportation and delivery and any long-term care staff who are not vaccinated. Those age 19-24 are asked to be tested on Monday and those 25-29 on Tuesday.
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.
Prince Edward Island has 18 active cases of COVID-19 and has had a total of 132 positive cases of COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. For information about the province’s COVID-19 cases, visit: PEI COVID-19 Case Data.
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
- Stay home if you are not feeling well
- Limit touching your eyes, nose and mouth
- Keep your circle of contacts small
- Wear a mask in closed, indoor public spaces
- 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