COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Friday, June 11

The Prince Edward Island government announced Friday the Island will receive anadditional 29,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine before the end of June. That could mean pandemic restrictions loosening earlier than planned, the premier and Dr. Heather Morrison say.

The Upper Room Hospitality Ministry in Charlottetown has taken over a new space to enable it to help more people at once, given pandemic restrictions.

Tourism operators are expressing concerns that P.E.I. is opening to tourists more slowly than the rest of the region. Premier Dennis Kingis worried about the province's ability to handle an outbreak.

The province tweeted this graphic Friday, showing the number of P.E.I. residents vaccinated with at least one dose, by age.

The union representing paramedics on P.E.I. has met with the premier to discuss what it's calling a "critical shortage" of staff. CUPE Local 3324 president Jason Woodbury says paramedics have takenon more responsibility during the pandemic.

The provincial government has outlined a new gift-card plan to help keep accommodations-based businesses in the black.

A pair of P.E.I. friends say their new-found love, hiking, has helped them deal with depression and anxiety, and get through the pandemic.

There have been 206cases of COVID-19 on P.E.I. and four are considered active. There have been no deaths and two hospitalizations.Prince Edward Island has reported no new cases since June 3.

Elsewhere in Atlantic Canada:

• Nova Scotia has eight new cases of COVID-19, and on Friday confirmed the province's 89th death related to the illness. There are 143 active cases.
• Newfoundland and Labrador has three new cases Friday and 54 active cases.
• New Brunswick reportedone new case Friday and has 97 active cases.

Also in the news

• After a quiet tourism year in the Tignish region due to the coronavirus shutdown,things are picking up with new music, entertainment, and a whole new salty rite of passage.
• The federal government is earmarking $6.3 million in COVID-19 recovery funds for major infrastructure upgrades in eastern P.E.I., with projects including the hospitals in Montague and Souris, a Montague school, and a highway depot.
• Two Prince Edward Island hospital foundations are happily making plans to use funds from the province designed to supplementwhat they were able to raise on their own this past year, with the COVID-19 pandemic posing major challenges.
• If anyone is refused entry to P.E.I. at the Borden-Carleton side of the Confederation Bridge, you will still have to pay the toll when you're asked to leave.

TheseIslanders are currently eligible for a vaccine

• People over 12.
• Islanders over 18can book an appointment for Moderna vaccine at a pharmacy.

You can find more information about how to get a vaccinehere.

Further resources

• Here isa chart of COVID-19 cases on P.E.I. since March 2020, and a timelineof pandemic events.
• Here is a look at how coronavirus isspreading across Canada.

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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