COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Wednesday, June 17

The provincial budget has been released and the P.E.I. government is projecting the biggest budget deficit in its historyas spending increasedduring pandemic.

The projecteddeficit by the Conservative governmentcomes in at $173 million, leaving mixed feelings among Greens and Liberals.

Opposition leader Peter Bevan-Baker is questioning how quickly the province is allowing seasonal residents from Ontario to come to P.E.I.

Manufacturing sales numbers for April were released by Statistics Canada this week, and they show P.E.I. is performing well relative to the rest of the country in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tourism P.E.I. has launched a $250,000 advertising campaign focusing on staycations for Islanders this summer.

While many festivals and events have been cancelled or postponed, organizers of Pride Week say the festival, and parade, will go on in some form.

P.E.I. will start taking applications for family membersof Islanders to visit the province to provide necessary support, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison announced Tuesday.

Seasonal residents have begun arriving on P.E.I.

Confederation Centre library is open again, but with some changes.

COVID-19 has hada "devastating impact" on the Charlottetown airport,CEO Doug Newson toldCBC News: Compass host Louise Martin.

P.E.I. has had 27 confirmed cases, the most recent on April 28. All of have recovered. About 9,100 COVID-19 tests from P.E.I. have been done.

Also in the news

• No one is keeping track how much work students are getting done at home during the pandemic.
• A high school graduate was thrilled by a convoy of trucks organized in his honour.
• Some people in Souris are concerned about the news that Quebec tourists on their way tole de la Madeleines can pass through P.E.I.
• Driver's licence tests are continuing on P.E.I., but without the examiner in the vehicle.
• Phase 4 of the easing of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions will start June 26. The government said Phase 4 will likely be the newnormalfor P.E.I.

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.