P.E.I. stepping up public health enforcement as COVID-19 cases increase across Canada

P.E.I. clarified the rules last week for people arriving on the Island from outside the Atlantic bubble, and increased enforcement is going to be part of the changes.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison reiterated last week's changes in her regular weekly briefing Tuesday.

Workers who regularly travel outside the Atlantic bubble, excluding those who work in health care or are designated rotational workers, must now apply to work-isolate with permission from their employer. Work-isolation allows people to go to work with special restrictions, but otherwise they must stay at home.

Morrison acknowledged there could have been some confusion about the rules previously, but said the Chief Public Health Office has been talking to enforcement officers in light of the new rules.

"We will be stepping up our enforcement measures." Morrison said.

'Alarming increase'

Respecting public health rules concerning self-isolation and work-isolation is especially important with COVID-19 case numbers growing across Canada, said Morrison.

"There is an alarming rate of increase, particularly in Ontario and Quebec," she said.

Nationally, daily case counts are in the same range as April, she said, and hospitalizations and deaths are increasing across much of the country.

P.E.I.'s rules regarding people coming to the Island from outside the Atlantic bubble are an important defence against the spread of COVID-19, she said, and so those rule will be remaining in place.

There were no new cases of COVID-19 announced Tuesday. There have been a total of 61 cases of COVID-19on P.E.I., three of which are still active. There have been no deaths and no hospitalizations.

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