COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Tuesday, Aug. 11

Health PEI ishiring additional staff for multiple health-care service rolesin preparation of a second wave of COVID-19.

Harness racing fans on P.E.I. are being warned not to make plans to attend the annual Gold Cup andSaucer racethis year in person, unless they have a reservation.

MLAs on P.E.I.'s standing committee on education and economic growth wanttop education officials to answer some questions about the province's back-to-school plan.

The Atlantic bubble has given tourism operators on P.E.I. a much-needed boost, Tourism Minister Matthew MacKaysaid in an interview with CBCNews: Compass host Louise Martin.

Post-secondary students from outside the Atlantic bubble have begun arriving on P.E.I., and Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison has outlined some of the details for ensuring their safe arrival.

Health PEI chief of nursing Marion Dowling says P.E.I. is catching up on elective surgeries postponed in the early weeks of the pandemic.

Morrison and Dowling were speakingat the regularweekly provincial pandemic briefing.

Initial COVID-19 tests on Canadian Premier Leaguesoccer participants in Charlottetown have all come back negative.

About 300 professional soccer players, coaches and staff are preparing for a season in a way they've never done before, but so far, they say it's better than they imagined.

Rugby is returning to P.E.I. fields, but there are some rule changes.

There may bethe odd mistake and some tough transitionsas students and staff adjust to the back-to-school plan, but lifeat P.E.I. schools should be fine intimeas rules become routine, according to some student council presidents.

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

• COVID-19 delayed the opening of the new Arts Hotel in downtown Charlottetown, but it didn't stop it.
• Walmart will require allcustomers and staff towear a maskin its stores across the country starting on Wednesday of this week.
• The Boys and Girls Club of Charlottetown will be back at full capacity starting in September, but it is looking for some help from the community to complete some changes it is making because of COVID-19.
• A P.E.I. artist has designed a pin to help people navigate difficult conversations about physical distancing during the pandemicand beyond.

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.