No active COVID-19 cases remain on P.E.I., vaccination goals on target

HALIFAX -

P.E.I. is reporting no new cases of COVID-19, and no active cases in the province, with the last new case reported on June 30.

The province says they are on target with their goal of having 80 per cent of all Island residents fully vaccinated, and on track with having 50 per cent of residents ages 12 and over fully vaccinated by the end of July.

"It is important we focus on achieving our 80 per cent target in all age groups, including those in their teens and young adults, " said Dr. Heather Morrison, P.E.I.'s chief health officer, during a COVID-19 update on Tuesday. "If you’re still undecided about getting vaccinated, please do it for yourself, do it for your family and friends, do it so our children can return to school safely, do it to keep businesses open, and do it to help prevent a fourth wave."

Morrison says a total of 180,606 doses of vaccine have been administered on the island, with 86.7 per cent of residents ages 12 and over having received at least one dose, and 41.7 per cent having received two doses.

P.E.I. is still recommending residents wait eight weeks between doses for maximum protection against the COVID-19 virus. 

"That is based on what we know about vaccine immunity offering longer, and improved protection if you can wait eight weeks," said Morrison. "If we reduced that interval, we'd have more people fully vaccinated now, but we want to protect people and make sure they have the best level of protection possible heading into the fall."

P.E.I has had 208 positive cases since the pandemic began, with all 208 cases now considered recovered.

TESTING AT POINTS OF ENTRY

As of July 18, Prince Edward Island is welcoming visitors from outside Atlantic Canada and the Magdalen Islands, as long as they have two doses of vaccine and have been approved for a P.E.I. pass.

If you are a Canadian who is fully vaccinated, you will be able to go to P.E.I. multiple times without needing to isolate if you have the pass.

Travellers from outside of Atlantic Canada, and from inside Atlantic Canada without a P.E.I. pass are required to self-isolate for eight days.

All travellers will continue to be screened at all P.E.I. points of entry.

Morrison says that since the P.E.I. pass program began on June 27, over 28,000 rapid tests have been conducted at the province's points of entry, with no positive tests detected.

You can learn more about travelling to P.E.I. here.