2 recent P.E.I. COVID-19 cases determined to be B117 variant

Two previously announced cases of COVID-19 on Prince Edward Islandhave been determined to be the B117 variant.

P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison made the announcementat her regular weekly briefing Tuesday morning.

Both of the cases were announced on March 26 before routine further testing at a national laboratory revealed the cases to be the B117 variant, which is believed to be more contagious and between 30 per cent more deadly and twiceas deadly than previous dominant variants.

The two cases were related to travel outside Atlantic Canada and the people had been isolating since their return to the Island.

No new cases were announced Tuesday. The last new case on P.E.I. was announced Thursday.

P.E.I. has seen 160 cases of COVID-19. Eight are currently considered active.

At Tuesday's briefing, Morrison said she is keeping a close eye onthe spread of variants in other parts of Canada, noting that disease pressure is shifting to younger people.

"The situation in other provinces is very concerning," she said.

"As a country we are in a race against the variants."

She said P.E.I. is still on track to have at least one vaccine dose delivered to all adults who want one by the end of June.

"We will achieve herd protection one person at a time, one immunization at a time."

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