P.E.I. still seeking source of Charlottetown Rural student's COVID-19 infection

P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Office still doesn't know how a high school student diagnosed with COVID-19 on the weekend caught the disease.

Extensive testing has been done on the contacts of the Charlottetown Rural student but no source has been found, according to Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison.

At her regular weekly briefing Tuesday morning,Morrison said she believes the student was likely in direct contact with someone who had travelled off P.E.I.

"I would encourage all teachers and students in P.E.I. schools with smartphones to download the free national COVID Alert app," she said.

The student was one of two cases announced on the weekend. The other person had travelled off-Island.

There are now a total of 102 people in self-isolation on P.E.I. who have been connected to recent cases.

Sharp decrease in travel

Since the Atlantic bubble was suspended last Tuesday, personal vehicle traffic has dropped by about 80 per cent, said Morrison.

During the first weeks of November an average of 1,120 personal vehicles crossed Confederation Bridge every day. Since the bubble was suspended last week that fell to 220 a day.

It is still possible for Islanders to travel to the mainland under some circumstances and not self-isolate when they return.

If the travel is for medical, child custody, airport dropoff or student pickup purposes, Islanders can be exempt from self-isolation. They are not allowed to stay overnight and interactions while travelling should be brief, physically distant, and be kept to a minimum. No stops in public places or visits with family or friends are allowed as part of the trip.

P.E.I. has had 72 cases of COVID-19, with four currently considered active. There have been no deaths and no hospitalizations.

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