No COVID-19 variants of concern found in recent P.E.I. outbreak

P.E.I. has received some good news fromgenetic testing of the coronavirus infecting people in a recent outbreak of COVID-19.

The analysis found that the clusters of cases in Charlottetown and Summerside were linked, but they were not cases of the more contagious variants of concern, such as B117,also known as the UK variant.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison released the results of that genetic analysis at her regular weekly briefing on Tuesday, but added a note of caution.

"I do remain concerned about our current COVID-19 situation," said Morrison.

P.E.I. now has 28 active cases of COVID-19, its most ever. Cases began appearing rapidly in the first weekend of this month, prompting a 72-hour lockdown and a massive campaign of community testing.

Through that weekend and the early part of last week, about seven per cent of the Island's population was tested, and no evidence was found of widespread community infections.

Morrison noted the Island has seen four cases of B117, but they were not related to the outbreak early this month.

No new cases were announced Tuesday. In total, the province has diagnosed 143 as having contracted COVID-19 since the first case was confirmed here on March 14, 2020.

Expanding vaccinations list

The province continues to get good news on the delivery of vaccines, said Morrison.

"We'll be able to deliver as much vaccine in the month of April as we have received between the middle of December and the end of March," she said.

As of Sunday, a total of14,189 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered to Islanders, including 5,514 people who received their second doses.

The province has said at least four-fifthsof the eligible population in P.E.I., consisting of those over the age of 16, will be able to get at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of June.

P.E.I.is expecting 30,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines between now and mid-April.

That includes 2,000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine that arrived Tuesday morning.

Young food workers next in line

The province is setting aside those vaccines for 18- to 29-year-olds who are working in the food service industry. Starting this Thursday, March 11, Islanders in that group will be able to call to make an appointment to get a vaccine or book one online at PrinceEdwardIsland.ca/GetTheVaccine.

They will need to have a P.E.I. health card, and will get a shot of theAstraZeneca vaccine at one of six pharmacies across the Island, the province said in a news release late Tuesday.

Morrison said about 69 per cent of the province's cases have cropped up in that age group, and most outbreaks have been related to food service, and that's why public health decided to target that group for vaccination next.

Morrison also said that Islanders aged 75 or older will also be able to make an appointment starting Thursday, depending on their month of birth:

• If they were born fromJanuary to April, Islanders 75 and up can start booking this Thursday for appointments starting the week of April 5.
• People 75 and older who were born between May and August can start booking on Monday, March 15.
• Those born from September to December can start booking next Thursday, March 18.

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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