P.E.I. reports 3 deaths, jump in cases and hospitalizations in COVID-19 update

Prince Edward Island is reporting three new COVID-19 deaths in the province’s weekly update.

One person who died was between the ages of 60-79 and two people were over the age of 80.

Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, the province has reported 49 COVID-19-related deaths.

Health officials on the Island are also reporting a jump in the number of people in hospital with the virus and the number of new COVID-19 cases.

The data released Tuesday covers a seven-day period from July 12 to July 18.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

Forty-one people are in hospital with COVID-19 on the Island, compared to 19 last week.

Of those in hospital, 21 were admitted because of COVID-19 — one of whom is in the intensive care unit. Twenty people were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19 on or after admission.

The province says most people who require hospitalization are in their 60s and 70s. The second leading age group is people over 80.

TESTING AND CASE DATA

The province is reporting 1,706 new PCR-confirmed cases of COVID-19, compared to 1,270 last week.

There are 2,219 active cases of COVID-19 on P.E.I.

The seven-day moving average of COVID-19 cases on the Island is 244, compared to 182 in the last report.

However, when rapid test numbers are included in the seven-day average, it jumps to 544.

The percentage of tests that come back positive — both rapid and PCR — is 44.8 per cent.

Since the start of the pandemic, the majority of cases — 31.8 per cent — have been in people in their 20s and 30s.

OUTBREAKS

There are currently COVID-19 outbreaks at three long-term and community-care facilities:

• Kensington Community Care
• Le Chez Nous Community Care
• Summerset LTC

Three acute care facilities on the Island also have COVID-19 outbreaks:

• Hillsborough Hospital Acute Care Psychiatry Unit
• Prince County Hospital Medical Unit
• Souris Hospital

Prince Edward Island updates COVID-19 cases data weekly on its website.