COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Thursday, July 23

More than 150 COVID-19 tests have been cleared on P.E.I. in the last 24 hours, with no new cases. There are currently 43 tests pending.

The news comes from the province's daily online data update. On Tuesday, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison noted that P.E.I. ranks third in Canada in terms of testing per capita, behind Alberta and Ontario.

Prince Edward Island has done 108 tests per 1,000 residents compared to the Canadian average of 94 per 1,000, she said.

Courtrooms on P.E.I. are making changes to adapt to COVID-19.

Growth in the P.E.I. construction industry has slowed during the pandemic, but it hasn't stopped.

The Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I. has made available a course on cleaning and disinfecting, specifically designed to address problems presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts in Summerside has cancelled its theatre arts program for the coming year, because it requires singing and close proximity of students.

A UPEI student saysthe cancellation of a federal youth volunteer program has left her in the lurch.

The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program is not working for some Island businesses that have been evicted during the COVID-19 pandemic, says Charlottetown MP Sean Casey.

Prince Edward Island is now down to twoactive cases of COVID-19, out of a total of 36 diagnosed since the pandemic began.

Also in the news

• The P.E.I. government owes Islanders and Atlantic Canadians an explanation for the private information it is collecting during the pandemic, says the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
• A jobless rate for women on P.E.I. that is almost double what it is for men shows the need for structural changes to provide women with more secure jobs, says the P.E.I. Advisory Council on the Status of Women.
• New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs says Islanders needn't worry about his province opening up to two communities in Quebec.
• School officials on P.E.I. say they continue to work on plans for a safe return to class and hope to provide parents with details in plenty of time before the bell rings on Sept. 8.
• CHANCESdaycare in Belfast is looking for a new home to avoid closing its doors Aug. 21.It was originally located at the Dr. John M.Gillis Memorial Lodge a long-term care home but COVID-19 pushed it toBelfast Consolidated School.

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.