Hope for P.E.I. hockey fans
Dr. Heather Morrison says numbers allowed at larger venues could be increasing
P.E.I. chief public health officer provided a glimmer of hope for P.E.I. hockey fans on Tuesday.
During her weekly COVID briefing, Dr. Heather Morrison said the Chief Public Health Office will work with selected large venues, including the Eastlink Centre, Credit Union Place and the Confederation Centre of the Arts, to examine increasing gathering limits soon.
Eastlink Centre is home to the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals of the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) play out of Credit Union Place’s Eastlink Arena.
Presently, rinks are allowed four different cohorts of 50 people each.
Eastlink Centre and Eastlink Arena are the province’s two largest arenas.
Morrison said the facilities will have to submit updated operational plans for the extra people.
She said it's important the cohorts are maintained, and there is no mixing between cohorts.
"It’s really important for entrances and exits, how people get in and out of the building but also around shared washrooms and concession stands, for instance," said Morrison during the province's weekly COVID-19 briefing.
“We know they did a very good job in the fall and we want to make sure we are careful and work with them recognizing there would only be a few places that would be able to still accommodate the physical distancing," said Morrison.
"The separation of those cohorts, separate entrances and exits, for instance, and those are really where we would be looking to talk to them and look at their plans again to go above the multiple gathering limits that are currently in place.”
Morrison said, “it is possible” for the teams to welcome more fans in the future but stressed it must be in a “very controlled setting.”