P.E.I. had zero new COVID-19 cases since April 28th but that changed on Saturday.
Prince Edward Island’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, announced three new cases of the virus during an unplanned press conference.
Morrison says the man in his 20’s travelled to Nova Scotia where he had contact with someone from the United States. He is Asymptomatic.
She says the second case is a woman in her 20’s, and is connected to the first case. She is employed at the Whisperwood Villa, a home for seniors.
All residents and staff are being tested but no one in the long term care home is showing any symptoms.
Dr. Morrison says the employee told Public Health, she wore PPE, and is not in patient care. She also left work immediately when she began to feel sick.
Morrison says the third case, a man in his 50’s, is an essential worker that recently left the island and self-isolated upon return. This case is not believed to be connected to the other two.
PEI Premier Dennis King says no changes will be made to the Atlantic bubble, for now.
July 4, 2020 – COVID-19 Update – 1:00 pm
Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, has announced three additional positive COVID-19 cases in the province, bringing the province’s total to 30. The three cases are all Islanders and are related to travel within Canada. None of the cases are related to seasonal residents or the opening of the Atlantic Bubble. All three individuals are essential workers: a man in his 50s, a man in his 20s and a woman in her 20s. The man in his 50s recently traveled outside of the region and has been self-isolating since returning home. The man and woman in their 20s are believed to be connected, the man had traveled to Nova Scotia and had contact with someone who had traveled from the United States. The woman is a staff member at Whisperwood Villa and recently worked at the facility. She wore appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and does not provide direct personal care to residents. She left the facility as soon as she experienced symptoms. Whisperwood Villa was contacted last evening as soon as the Chief Public Health Office became aware of the positive case. As a precaution, all residents and staff at Whisperwood Villa will be tested for COVID-19. Staff are being contacted individually regarding the process to get tested, and resident testing is already underway. None of the residents at Whisperwood Villa are currently experiencing new COVID-19 symptoms. As an additional precaution, anyone who visited Whisperwood Villa on Tuesday, June 30 is also being contacted directly to arrange for testing. Contact tracing of the cases through public health nursing has started. Early and comprehensive contact tracing is key to containing further spread of COVID-19 in Prince Edward Island. The Chief Public Health Office continues to work with Whisperwood Villa, who has been diligent about following public health guidance since the pandemic began. All indoor and outdoor visits at the facility are cancelled until further notice and there will be no communal dining. The frequency of resident temperature checks will now take place twice a day, in addition to two screenings per day. All necessary steps are being taken to mitigate any spread of COVID-19 in the facility and keeping residents and staff safe is a top priority.
Posted by Prince Edward Island Government on Saturday, July 4, 2020
