One new COVID-19 case and potential exposures in Prince Edward Island

Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, has confirmed one new case of COVID-19 in Prince Edward Island. 

The individual is a female in her 20s who recently travelled to PEI from within Atlantic Canada. She has mild symptoms and is self-isolating at home. Contact tracing is ongoing, and the individual and her close contacts will be self-isolating for 14 days. More information will be available in the coming days. 

The individual visited two restaurants in Charlottetown on November 21, 2020. Public health nursing will be using the sign-in sheets from these locations to identify who needs to be advised of a potential COVID-19 exposure. All individuals that require a test due to a potential exposure at these locations will be contact directly by public health nursing.

The restaurant locations are:

• Terra Rossa (72 Queen Street) from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
• The Gahan House Pub (126 Sydney Street) from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm

The individual also visited the Atlantic Superstore at 465 University Avenue in Charlottetown on Monday, November 23 between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Anyone who was at this location during this time should monitor closely for symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested if symptoms develop. The Atlantic Superstore’s mandatory mask policy lowers the risk to customers in this situation. There is no need for individuals who were at the store to be tested if they do not have symptoms. 

Dr. Morrison says this serves as a reminder of the need to adhere to public health measures in an effort to break the chain of transmission of COVID-19. 

As per public health guidance in Nova Scotia, anyone who was in a bar or restaurant in the Halifax Regional Municipality since November 10 should be tested for COVID-19 even if they do not have symptoms. All Islanders who were in these Halifax area establishments should be tested at a drop-in testing clinic.  

Islanders are encouraged to download the COVID Alert App, Canada’s free exposure notification app. The app lets other app users know of possible exposures. The app is available for iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded via the Apple App Store or Google Play.   

Prince Edward Island has had a total of 70 positive cases of COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. All cases to date have been travel-related. Information about the province’s COVID-19 cases is available online.

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:

• Washing 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
• Maintain a distance of two meters from others as much as possible
• Don’t share items like drinking glasses and water bottles
• Frequently clean surfaces like taps, doorknobs and countertops

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