Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, has announced six new cases of COVID-19 in Prince Edward Island.
Two of the individuals are in their 40s, one is in their 30s, one is in their 20s and two are under the age of 12 years. Three of the cases are linked to travel outside of the province and three are contacts of previously announced cases.
Two of the individuals are students at Westwood Primary School. This is not considered an outbreak at this time.
Classmates and seatmates who travelled on the bus with the students are considered close contacts and will be contacted directly and advised of testing and isolation requirements. Other students and staff at Westwood Primary who are not contacted by public health should monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and if any develop, visit a drop-in testing clinic and isolate until a negative result is received.
Westwood Primary School will be closed on Thursday, December 9 and Friday, December 10 to allow close contacts to be tested and results to come back. This will give public health time to determine if there has been any transmission within the school. Further direction will be provided over the weekend about the school reopening.
There are currently 27 active cases of COVID-19 in PEI and there have been 403 cases since the pandemic began.
The Chief Public Health Office is advising anyone who was at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia between Friday, December 3 and Monday, December 6 to visit a drop-in testing clinic to be tested and isolate until negative test results are received.
There are new public exposure sites related to cases:
- Thursday, December 2
- Morell Credit Union Rink (59 Queen Elizabeth Drive) between 7:30 pm and 9:00 pm
- Prince Edward Island Supreme Court (42 Water Street, Charlottetown) and Charlottetown Provincial Court (3 Harbourside Access Road, Charlottetown)
- Friday, December 3
- Northumberland Ferry departing Wood Islands at 8:30 am
- Prince Edward Island Supreme Court (42 Water Street, Charlottetown) and Charlottetown Provincial Court (3 Harbourside Access Road, Charlottetown)
- Delta Prince Edward Hotel gym (18 Queen Street, Charlottetown) between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm
- Saturday, December 4
- Cari Complex (559 University Avenue) between 8:30 am and 10:30 am
- H&M at the Charlottetown Mall (670 University Avenue, Charlottetown) between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm
- Sunday, December 5
- o Simmons Rink (170 North River Road) between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm
- o Northumberland Ferry departing Caribou, Nova Scotia at 1:30 pm
- o Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre at UPEI (550 University Avenue, Charlottetown) between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm
- o O’Leary Kwik-Way (471 Main Street) between 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm
- Monday, December 6
- Prince Edward Island Supreme Court (42 Water Street, Charlottetown) and Charlottetown Provincial Court (3 Harbourside Access Road, Charlottetown)
- Receiver Coffee House (178 Water Street, Charlottetown) between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm
- Mount Stewart Irving (10693 PE-2) between 10:00 am and 10:15 am
Anyone who was at these locations during these times who is not fully vaccinated should visit a drop-in testing clinic to be tested and monitor for symptoms for 14 days from the date of exposure. If any symptoms develop, individuals should be re-tested.
Anyone who was at these locations during these times who is fully vaccinated should monitor for symptoms for 14 days from the date of exposure and if any symptoms develop, they should visit a drop-in testing clinic.
As of Saturday, December 4, 94.8 per cent of Island residents age 12 years and over have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 91.4 per cent are fully vaccinated with two doses. 15.4 per cent of children age 5-11 years have received their first 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.
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
- 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
Autumn Tremere
Education and Lifelong Learning
(902) 368-6449
agtremere@gov.pe.ca