Bursting the bubble

P.E.I. announces it is restricting all non-essential travel for the next two weeks in response to climbing COVID-19 numbers elsewhere in the region

The Atlantic bubble has burst, at least for the time being.

Premier Dennis King and Dr. Heather Morrison, P.E.I.’s chief public health officer, announced Monday that effective at 12:01 a.m. today the province is putting a temporary stop to all non-essential travel to and from Prince Edward Island until Dec. 7.

The move comes in response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the region, with Nova Scotia reporting community spread and several cases still under investigation in New Brunswick.

“We’ve seen rises in every single province in the country, and the daily case load has hit an all-time high, it seems, every day,’’ King said. “On a couple of different occasions (on Sunday), I spoke to my fellow Atlantic premiers, and we all agreed that it was important … we take all necessary precautions in our respective provinces to keep our residents safe.’’

Newfoundland and Labrador has also hit the pause button on its participation in the Atlantic bubble, implementing

the same two-week break.

Morrison reported one additional COVID-19 cases on P.E.I. as of Monday. It’s a woman in her 40s who travelled to P.E.I. from outside

the bubble. She is self-isolating, and contract tracing is underway.

There are currently two active COVID-19 cases in the province. Since the pandemic began, there have been 69 cases in P.E.I., all related to travel outside the bubble.

“It is likely that P.E.I. will have cases related to exposure of outbreaks currently underway elsewhere in Canada,’’ Morrison said. “In other words, I am concerned that it may already be here. I’ve said before that COVID-19 is knocking at our door and, in recent days, that knocking has become louder and stronger.’’

Morrison said Islanders should leave P.E.I. only if “it is absolutely necessary’’ for things like work or medical appointments.

Anyone travelling to the province will be required to self-isolate or can apply to work-isolate for 14 days. Non-Island residents will be required to apply for pretravel approval before arriving and must submit a 14-day self-isolation plan.

Essential workers coming to the Island will continue to be able to work-isolate.

Island students studying off

P.E.I. will be required to selfisolate for 14 days when they return.

Morrison said people will still be able to travel to P.E.I. for compassionate purposes and for custody arrangements.

In terms of sporting events, Morrison said there will be no inter-provincial tournament play in P.E.I.

Truck drivers, like rotational workers, are required to register with the public health office, although there will be a grace period. They will not be required to follow the testing regimen until Nov. 30.

That gives staff with the health department time to determine demand for additional testing. Morrison said if drivers or rotational workers experience any signs or symptoms they should arrange to be tested.

“I also urge all individuals who have travelled within Atlantic Canada over the last seven days to take additional precautions,’’ Morrison said Monday.

These precautions should continue for the next two weeks.

Anyone who was in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia is being asked to wear a mask at all times when at work, in school or in a public place and should limit close contacts with anyone outside their household. Children who have travelled to either of those provinces shouldn’t attend hockey games, dancing events, ringette, birthday parties and playdates.

As for seniors in longterm care and community

care facilities, Morrison said partners in care who have returned to P.E.I. from any jurisdiction in the last seven

days and going forward must be tested before visiting a loved one.

The chief public health officer

added that her staff was meeting later in the day with officials in long-term care homes and community care facilities about rules around visitations.

She said some homes have already made changes to visitation rules.

Morrison said a decision on what happens when the two-week pause ends on Dec. 7 will depend largely on the situation in neighbouring provinces.

ALISON JENKINS/LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER The Atlantic bubble has burst for the next two weeks, as travel between P.E.I. and the mainland is restricted to essential traffic only. Steve Cullen, Highway Safety officer at the Confederation Bridge, said Monday was a busy day at the checkpoint as news of the changes to the bubble was made public.

CONTRIBUTED Premier Dennis King, shown at Monday's news briefing in Charlottetown, says he spoke to his fellow Atlantic premiers on Sunday prior to announcing that P.E.I. is temporarily pulling out of the regional bubble.