COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Friday, July 17

The P.E.I. government says there have still been no new positive COVID-19 tests among Queen Elizabeth Hospital patients and staff tested this week.

P.E.I. Premier Dennis King is not concerned about a New Brunswick rebate program designed to get New Brunswickers to vacation in their home province this summer, saying his province has a number of its own incentive programs in the works.

The COVID-19 testing lab at the QEH in Charlottetown has done nearly as many tests in the first 16 days of July as it did in the entire month of June.

Health PEI chief of nursing Marion Dowling explains new policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in emergency departments.

Cineplex in the Charlottetown Mall and City Cinema downtown are both welcoming back customers, with COVID-19 restrictions in place, such as physical distancing and one-way foot traffic.

COVID-19 has forced the cancellation of St. Anne's Sunday, a festival celebrating the patron saint of the Mi'kmaq people.

The P.E.I. government says Quebec residents are being allowed,under "extenuating circumstances,"to sleep overnight on the Island while travelling to and from the Magdalen Islands.

A proposal by New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs to extend the Atlantic bubble to include part of Quebec is getting a cool response from his Atlantic colleagues, including the P.E.I. premier.

A beach safety expert is concerned something he calls COVID fatigue may prompt people to take more risks while visiting the shore.

Pride celebrations will look different on P.E.I. this year as organizers work to put on a hybrid blend of in-person and online events.

P.E.I. has had a total of 36 cases of COVID-19. There are currently seven active cases, and 29 cases considered recovered.

Also in the news

• The COVID-19 pandemic has created a boom in the sale of chicks and hens for rent this summer as people want more of a hand in producing their own food.
• All 26 of P.E.I.'s public libraries will reopen on Monday, July 20, but Islanders will have to grab their books and go.
• Two tourism operators describe how government aid has been crucial to surviving the 2020 tourism season.
• Health PEI has contingency plans to move the emergency department at the QEH if a COVID-19 outbreak makes that necessary, says Health Minister James Aylward.
• P.E.I. will not even begin to think seriously about expanding beyond the Atlantic bubble before August, says Premier Dennis King.
• Whisperwood Villa is now easing lockdown restrictionsafter the second round of COVID-19 test resultsfor residents, staff and visitors came back negative.
• P.E.I. company BioVectra has recalled a hand sanitizer it produced after Health Canada expressed concerns it may cause a mild rash.

Further resources

• Here isinformation for livingwith the COVID-19 pandemic on P.E.I. including information on government relief programs, physical distancing measures, and essential health services.
• Here is achart tracking COVID-19 numbers and a timeline of COVID-19-related events on P.E.I.

More COVID-19 stories from CBC P.E.I.