COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Wednesday, July 7

Some COVID-19 rapid testing will now be offered on ferry crossings to Prince Edward Island.

The P.E.I. Pharmacists Association says uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines at pharmacies across the Island has been "very good" over the last few weeks.

Gas prices are expected to continue to rise, driven by increased demand with the world economy recovering as it comes out of the pandemic, along with the regular higher summer demand.

The P.E.I. Pride Festival will include more in-person events this year.

Nearly 3,000 people from outside the Atlantic region had applied for a PEI Passby midday Tuesday the first day they were allowed to apply.

Charlottetown Rural High School valedictorian Brandon MacKinnongave his graduating speech 11 times. And it was COVID's fault.

The City of Charlottetown has presented keys to the city to Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison and Chief of Nursing Marion Dowling, in honour of their work keeping a lid onCOVID-19 cases on the Island.

Alcohol sales in P.E.I. increased in 2020, even though the COVID-19 pandemic meant the Island saw only a fraction of its regular visitors last year.

P.E.I. confirmed one new case of COVID-19late Tuesday afternoon, meaning the province now has two active cases out of a total of 208.

Elsewhere in Atlantic Canada:

• Nova Scotia reported onenew COVID-19 caseon Wednesday, and has 39 active cases.
• Newfoundland and Labrador has no new cases, and 14active cases.
• New Brunswick has no new cases and 10active cases.

Also in the news

• Lineups for rapid testing are the norm these days if you are coming into P.E.I., but who gets tested is expected to change as the province opens its borders beyond Atlantic Canada later this month.
• Families with young children should consider waiting to travel until there is a vaccine available for children under 12, says emergency department physician Dr. Trevor Jain.
• P.E.I. has set up extensive facilities to test people for COVID-19 as they enter the province, but not everyone is getting tested.
• The province now has more active businesses than it did before the pandemic started, but the number of jobs has not caught up yet.
• The Gold Cup Parade committee is seeking float proposals from the business community for this year's event, which will see the parade tour through Charlottetown neighbourhoods.

TheseIslanders are currently eligible for a vaccine

• People over 12.
• Islanders over 18can book an appointment for Moderna vaccine at a pharmacy.

You can find more information about how to get a vaccinehere.

Further resources

• Here isa chart of COVID-19 cases on P.E.I. since March 2020, and a timelineof pandemic events.
• Here is a look at how coronavirus isspreading across Canada.

Reminder about symptoms

The symptoms of COVID-19 can include:

• Fever.
• Cough or worsening of a previous cough.
• Possible loss of taste and/or smell.
• Sore throat.
• New or worsening fatigue.
• Headache.
• Shortness of breath.
• Runny nose.

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