P.E.I. begins circuit breaker

Tighter restrictions announced after seven cases confirmed on weekend

Four Charlottetown-area high schools begin online learning today and restrictions will be tightened as seven new COVID-19 cases were announced in the province during the weekend.

The affected schools are Ecole Francois-Buote, Charlottetown Rural High School, Colonel Gray High School and Bluefield High School. All other schools and daycare centres remain unaffected, though that could change.

The details were released late Sunday afternoon during a news briefing. A second news conference to provide more information about the education changes took place Sunday night after deadline. A story from the news conference is online at www.theguardian. pe.ca.

The tightened restrictions include targeted testing for people in the capital region aged 20-29, closure of dine-in eating and increased enforcement on gathering limits.

These restrictions, a “circuit breaker,” are temporarily in place for two weeks to attempt to halt the quick progression of COVID-19 during the last week, chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison said in an unscheduled briefing on Sunday.

“We want people to be really careful. I think it's with heavy heart we talk about these measures.”

On Saturday, Morrison announced three new confirmed, linked cases, with an additional four on Sunday related to the first cluster. None of the cases involved travel outside of P.E.I.

Morrison said the sharp increase in cases and lack of travel outside the province suggests there is community spread.

The latest cases are three women in their 20s and one in her 30s, who are all self-isolating at home and doing well.

The source of the outbreak isn't known. The priority is doing contact tracing of the latest cases to determine the source, but Morrison said she isn't sure one will be identified.

“I think that's why it has made us more anxious about this particular outbreak.”

Morrison said that as the investigation continues, more positive cases are expected.

Given the demographic of the outbreak, Morrison said her office will be working with partners to target testing for people in the 20-29 age group.

Morrison said there is an evolving situation that requires a strong provincial response.

“If we do not act immediately and take a hard approach," said Morrison, “it will take us much longer to recover and we will have more devastating impacts for individuals, families, communities and our Island society in general.”

Morrison said a “circuit breaker” approach is meant to break the chain and get control of the situation.

With the new cases, the province is implementing further restrictions starting today for two weeks and Morrison asked Islanders to stay home as much as possible.

Morrison said the hope is the circuit breaker will be for a short period.

“If we act quickly and put these measures in now, it may mean we don't have to stay in them for very long and things won't get worse.”