Statement by Premier King regarding Ontario’s request for support

Premier King issued the following statement after speaking with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford in response to the request from Ontario for assistance with health human resources:

“This afternoon I spoke with Premier Ford and subsequently with Prime Minister Trudeau about the concerning situation in Ontario.  

Our first priority remains to protect the health and safety of Islanders.  While we will remain as open as possible to offering as much help as we can to our fellow Canadians during this difficult time, we also have to remain focused on the needs of our province, as we brace for the reality this growing third wave of COVID-19 may hit our Island shores.

At the request of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford, we have asked health officials to undertake a scan of our current situation to determine if there are any resources which could be available. This process includes officials from the Department of Health and Wellness, Health PEI, Chief Public Health Office and consultation with health unions. 

We have been in contact with the President of the University of Prince Edward Island and the President of Holland College asking them to share information with pending graduates who may be willing to assist.

This is a worrisome time. While we want to try to provide some assistance to our fellow Canadians in need, we need to remain fully prepared for what we could be faced with in Prince Edward Island as COVID-19 case counts grow in the country.  

In consultation with CPHO, we continue to believe that our best effort to keep our province safe rests with limiting the possibility for importing the virus to our province so we will be looking at further strengthening our - already strict - border measures in the days ahead.”

Media Contact:

Adam Ross

Office of the Premier

adamross@gov.pe.ca