COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Tuesday, July 28

With the recovery of two more patients, there are currently no active cases of COVID-19 on Prince Edward Island, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said during her weekly briefing Tuesday just before noon.

Morrison announced some policy changes for both public and private long-term care facilities, including the establishment of a partner in care for residents.

"It will be really important for the residents and their families," she said.

Morrison also announced a new category of visitors who will be allowed to come to P.E.I.effective immediately throughthe family connection stream.

Morrison urged people to continue to be vigilant and follow recommendations of physical distancing, handwashing, and wearing a mask in public.

"We are not out of the woods and we cannot afford to let our guard down," she said.

As questions loom about the return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic, a group that serves families that home school says hundreds of new peoplehave expressed interest in learning more.

The Charlottetown Islanders continue to prepare for the season as they await for word on what that might look like. The team is also looking for new billet families, and have brought in new measures to protect players and families during theCOVID-19 pandemic in the upcoming season.

Upstreet Craft Brewing is recalling about 20,000 bottles of hand sanitizer it has produced during the COVID-19 pandemic after Health Canada said it could cause skin irritation.

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic,Victoria-by-the-Sea says it is experience a high volume of visitors and off-Island tourists this summer.

Maritime Electric has brought in a new COVID-19 customer support program, which is offering customers struggling because of the pandemic the option of deferring payments of their bills for a few months.

The Canada Revenue Agency says itwon't impose late fees for anyone who owes back taxes for the 2019 tax year until September 2020.

The 2020 Stompin' Tom Festival is officially underway, after the centre in Skinners Pond officially opened its new stage and festival grounds specifically designed for physical distancing. The ribbon cutting was held on Saturday.

The Island is now down to twoactive cases of COVID-19, out of a total of 36 diagnosed since the pandemic began.

Also in the news

• A different looking rainbow flag is being flown in some places during the P.E.I. Pride Festival this year, as the week of events has changed dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• An American author and economics professor says the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic may boost public interest ina job guarantee policy, which she says could do more to bolster the economy than a basic incomeguarantee.
• Many of the visitors P.E.I. welcomes every summer are not tourists in the strictest sense they are people who used to live on the Island but moved away.With COVID-19 restricting visitors to those inside the Atlantic provinces,seasonal residents with P.E.I. property, and other Canadians who apply successfully tocome to P.E.I. to support family, a lot of those expats are left out.
• Music venues had been shut as of mid-March due to COVID-19 restrictions, but those loosened a few weeks ago, allowing performersto once again take the stage 12 feet from the audience, and to a maximum of 50 patrons who are physically distanced from one another.

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.