P.E.I. group calls on government to reinstate COVID-19 measures
A group on Prince Edward Island is calling for a return to tougher COVID-19 restrictions in the province.
That comes as part of a candlelight vigil in Charlottetown Wednesday evening — a memorial marking the COVID-19-related deaths of 52 islanders.
The group Protect our Province P.E.I. (POPPEI) was expecting dozens of people to gather in Rochford Square at 8:30 p.m.
Organizers say it’s also a call to action for the provincial government.
“Public health policy, if you study it at all, requires a layered perspective. That would include masks plus vaccine, not simply vaccine,” said Chris Robinson, a health economist and organizer with POPPEI. “We need that approach and a real plan as children go back to school.”
The group is demanding a return to mandatory masking, improved air filtration in public buildings, more frequent COVID-19 information updates, improved access to rapid tests, and 10 days of paid sick time.
COVID-19 activity has dropped since a small peak in mid-July. Numbers released by the province Tuesday show a drop in case counts and hospitalizations, though there were three new deaths and 35 per cent of people tested were positive for the virus.
“We are still a very hot spot,” said Robinson. “A downward inflection is not the same as ‘we’ve decreased back to where we were in the times of the Atlantic bubble,’ that’s what we want to get back to.”
The province did not accommodate a request for an interview on the topic Wednesday.
The University of Prince Edward Island apparently agrees with at least some of the group’s recommendations. It has become the latest post-secondary institution in the Maritimes to implement on-campus masking in the upcoming fall semester, after making the announcement Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.