COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Tuesday, June 23

Atlantic Canada's largest newspaper chain, Halifax-based SaltWire Network, has announced it will be laying off 109 people permanently.

The Charlottetown airport revealed a stark financial forecast at its virtual annual public meeting. With passenger traffic expected to drop by 75 to80 per cent in 2020, the airport has put plans to expand on hold and is considering increasing passenger fees.

New COVID-19 measures developedto maintainphysical distance among customers have caused lineups outside shops and services on P.E.I., including long lineups at Access PEI's Charlottetown office.

Officials there worried that in the middle of P.E.I.'s current heat wave,people could be vulnerable to the sun, sothey've set uptents along the side of the buildingto offer some reprieveto those in line.

P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison remained cautious at a pandemic briefing Tuesday morning about the possibility of opening up provincial borders to people outside of Atlantic Canada.

For Phase 4, slated to start June 26, Morrison said the limit on large organized gatherings will remain at 50 people, butsome venues may be able to accommodate multiple gatherings.

Marion Dowling, Health PEI's chief of nursing, said work is continuing at Riverview Manor in Montague to develop a centre for long-term care patients who may develop COVID-19. It will be called the Rosedale Care Centre.

P.E.I. has had 27 confirmed cases, the most recent on April 28. All have recovered. More than 10,000COVID-19 tests from P.E.I. have been done.

Also in the news

• A P.E.I. legislative committee wants to hear from Islanders about how much power they believe cabinet needs during a state of emergency.
• The pandemic has brought immigration to a standstill on P.E.I., and that is creating further economic uncertainty.
• A P.E.I. woman is teaching her students in Beijing from her parents' home on the Island, but she is keen to get back.
• Each high school on P.E.I. has come up with its own plan to celebrate its graduates during the pandemic. On Monday and Tuesday it was Charlottetown Rural's turn.
• The Raspberry Point Oyster Company is planning to build a new 30,000-square-foot storage and processing facility on P.E.I.'s North Shore as sales begin to rebound from COVID-19.
• The P.E.I. government has created a new kind of emergency leave for people who can't go to work because of pandemic restrictions.

Further resources

• Here isinformation for livingwith the COVID-19 pandemic on P.E.I. including information on government relief programs, physical distancing measures, andessential health services.
• Here is acharttracking COVID-19 numbers and a timeline of COVID-19-related events on P.E.I.

More COVID-19 stories from CBC P.E.I.