HALIFAX -- Passengers who travelled on an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Charlottetown on March 11 are being asked to self-isolate after a Prince Edward Island man who was on the plane tested positive for COVID-19.
Dr. Heather Morrison, chief health officer for P.E.I., confirmed details of the Island’s second case during a news conference Friday afternoon.
The Queens County man, in his 40s, returned to Charlottetown on March 11 on Air Canada Flight 7564 from Toronto to Charlottetown. The flight left Toronto at 9:20 a.m. and arrived in Charlottetown at 12:28 p.m.
The man had been travelling in the United Kingdom before returning to Canada. Morrison says the man self-isolated upon his return to Charlottetown, called 811 and got tested, and is now recovering at home.
Morrison says everyone who travelled on Air Canada Flight 7564 on March 11 should be self-isolating for 14 days.
Morrison says two positive cases of COVID-19 had been identified in P.E.I. as of Friday morning. The province had completed 240 tests as of Friday morning, with two positive cases and 167 negative tests. Seventy-one tests are still pending.
The City of Charlottetown announced Friday that it is temporarily closing all playground structures located at city-owned parks or recreation facilities.
“We don’t want children playing closely together outside, because it’s hard to know, if maybe one of their parents had travelled and are ill, we don’t want to spread that infection,” said Morrison during Friday’s conference.
Parks, trails and boardwalks in Charlottetown will remain open, but the public is reminded to maintain social-distancing.
When asked if the Confederation Bridge and Charlottetown airport will close, Morrison said there are no plans to close either at this time.
“The bridge and airport are important for our goods and supplies to enter the Island,” said Morrison during Friday’s news conference.
“Any decision to close the bridge would have to be discussed with all the provinces as an interprovincial closure. We have to get some of our Islanders home, and if we were to close the airport today, they would need to go through Moncton or Halifax to be home.”
Morrison went on to encourage Islanders to donate blood at this time of need, and not to stockpile medications.
The first confirmed test in P.E.I. was a woman in her 50s from the Queens County area who recently returned home after travelling on a cruise ship.
It was later revealed that the woman had travelled from Toronto to Moncton on March 7 on WestJet flight 3440.
“They had mild symptoms on that flight and New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are both making sure that not just those who were in the rows near that person, but everyone on that flight is aware," said Morrison during a news conference earlier this week.
Morrison said three other Islanders who had been on the cruise with the patient are in self-isolation and are reported to be doing well.
WestJet says passengers seated in rows 7 – 11 could especially be at risk, but all passengers who travelled on WestJet Flight 3440 from Toronto to Moncton on March 7 are advised to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms.
