[ad_1]
Prime Minister of Prince Edward Island Dennis King announced Thursday afternoon in the provincial legislature that the island will not be included in the Atlantic bubble until at least 21 December.
The news came when the office of PEI’s chief of public health, Dr. Heather Morrison, confirmed a new case of COVID-19 on the island.
PEI left the bubble that included the Atlantic provinces of PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador on November 23, as case numbers in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick increased.
That day, PEI closed its borders to everything but essential travel, as well as Newfoundland and Labrador. Three days later, New Brunswick withdrew the deal, ending what was left of the bubble.
As of July 3, residents of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador have been able to travel relatively freely across borders without going into quarantine. But things began to change in mid-November.
Situation ‘neutralizing a little’
“I’ve had conversations with Dr. Morrison for the past couple of days, and the epidemiology around the region seems to be neutralizing a bit, but certainly not to the extent that we’re comfortable going further,” King said.
That is why he authorized a two-week extension of the withdrawal from the bubble, which was to expire on December 7 at midnight.
Border restrictions will remain in effect until December 21, including the requirement of 14 days of isolation for most people if they return from an off-island trip.
Thursday around the region:
- Nova Scotia has reported 11 new cases of COVID-19; the province now has 119 active cases.
- New Brunswick reported six new cases Thursday and is handling 111 active cases.
- Newfoundland and Labrador had no new cases on Thursday, and that province now has 29 active cases.
The rotating worker out of 20 is the last case
King’s announcement came just before Morrison’s office announced a new case of COVID-19 on Prince Edward Island.
The person is a 20-year-old rolling worker who has self-isolated since arriving on the island from outside the Atlantic region. He tested positive during “routine tests”.
The contact tracing is complete, Morrison said in a press release.
The new case means that there have been 73 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed on Prince Edward Island since the start of the pandemic. Of these, five are considered active, with the rest recovered.
More from CBC PEI
Source link
