COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Friday, Aug. 7

The unemployment rate on P.E.I. fell 3.5 percentage points in July, but the drop was caused by an increase in part-time work and thousands leaving the labour force.

If the stress of working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic is causing problems with your family relationships, the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy is ready to help.

Summersidehas built picnic stations in its downtown to encourage takeout from local restaurants.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison anddirector ofEnglish education Tamara Hubley-Little took questions fromCBC News: Compasshost Louise Martin about plans for going back to school in the fall.

P.E.I. restaurants had their busiest weekendlast weekend since theyreopened after the COVID-19 lockdown, and some had to turn away customers, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The annual Art in the Open festival says it will be backthis year despite COVID-19, with "Big, bold, ambitious art installationsthat can be viewed from a distance, that people can experience at multiple different levels."

Charlottetown policeare cracking down on motorcycle noise and speedin the downtown corethey're getting an influx of complaints from residents this summer, and attribute that to more people being home because of the pandemic.

The Island has no active cases of COVID-19. The province has reported a total of 36 cases, with no deaths or hospitalizations.

Also in the news

• New numbers show Prince Edward Island business closures, which had been hovering around 200 a month for more than a year, shot to 428 in April as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
• The pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Montague is anticipating the need for back-to-school help will be up this year due to COVID-19.
• The P.E.I. governmentannounced itsback-to-school planfor September.

Further resources

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

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