P.E.I. reports 3 new COVID-19 cases, 2 linked to West Prince cluster

P.E.I. announced three new COVID-19 cases on Friday, two of which are related to the recent cluster of cases in West Prince.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said in a release the two individuals linked to the previously announced cases are in their 30s.

One of the cases has been isolating and has no close contacts. Contact tracing is underway for the other case.

The third individual is in their 20s. The case is currently under investigation.

P.E.I. has 12 active COVID-19 cases, and has had 339 cases total.

'We are concerned'

The province said nine cases have been linked to the Prince County cluster to date.

"We are concerned. We know the delta variant is contagious and there appears to be easy spreadbetween contacts," Morrison told CBC.

"We're trying to put our arms around this as well as we can."

One of the cases in the cluster has been associated with a workplace, which is not a public exposure site.

"At any workplace that is identified involving a case of COVID, other people in the workplace are tested and advice is givenin those settings," Morrison said.

A second round of testing for close contacts linked to the cluster is underway. All close contacts will be contacted directly by public health with further instructions.

Morrison also announced on Friday the province will start receiving doses of the pediatric vaccine, which has been approved for children ages five to 11, by next week.