COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Friday, Jan. 29

Residents of the Garden Home long-term care facility in Charlottetown received their second doses of vaccine to fight COVID-19 this week, and on Thursday celebrated being able to loosen restrictions as a result.

Numbers have been flying this week as a report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said P.E.I. was not using all the federal money it had been allocated for COVID-19 measures. However, the report's author acknowledged Thursday that the P.E.I. government was intending to spend most of a $65-million contingency fund though few details of how it was being spent have been released to date.

COVID-19 vaccine side effects are leading to an increase in Health PEI workers calling in sick, and the vaccine rollout may be adjusted to mitigate that impact.

The coronavirus could be nicknamed the purronavirus if you go by how busy a Summerside cat adoption group has been. Demand has outstripped the supply of kittens three to one since the pandemic began.Many would-be cat ladies and gentleman told the group they were looking for companionship in a lonely time.

The final numbers are in, and they show what many observers already suspected 2020 was the worst year on record for the Charlottetown Airport in the last 45 years.

The Charlottetown Islanders say they will play by the COVID-19 rules when their season resumes in Cape Breton on Friday.

One new case of COVID-19 was confirmed on Prince Edward Island late in the day Thursday, in a man who had recently travelled outside Atlantic Canada.

The total number of positive COVID-19 cases reported on P.E.I. is 111, with six still active. There have been no deaths or hospitalizations.

New Brunswick reported 27 new casesThursday.

Nova Scotia had no new cases, with 11 active.

Also in the news

• Provincial qualifiers for the Scotties and the Brier are short on competitors, and Curl P.E.I. says it is because of the self-isolation requirements.
• The Charlottetown Driving Park is the only open harness racing track in Canada right now, and it was first to open in the spring, and that created a surge in revenues in 2020.
• The pandemic has slowed down the process of turning Hog Island, along P.E.I.'s North Shore, into a national park reserve.
• A trauma and orthopedic surgeon has been splitting his time between work in three New Brunswick hospitals and his home and family in P.E.I. And he's got dozens of COVID-19 test results to show for it.

Further resources

• Here is a chart of COVID-19 cases on P.E.I. since March, and a timeline of 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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