HALIFAX -- Prince Edward Island is reporting five new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, including three connected to the outbreak at a Charlottetown daycare.
According to Dr. Heather Morrison, the province's chief public health officer, three of the new cases involve individuals in their 20s, all close household contacts of a previously reported case linked to the Leaps and Bounds Childcare Centre in Charlottetown.
Morrison says the three individuals have been in self-isolation since being identified as close contacts last week.
The first case at the Leaps and Bounds Childcare Centre was identified on Thursday. Since then, five additional cases have been connected to the daycare.
On Saturday the province announced that all other children and staff at the daycare had tested negative, but would continue to self-isolate for 14 days and be tested again between days 4-6 and 9-11 of their isolation.
Wednesday’s other two new cases involve two individuals, both in their 30s, who recently travelled to P.E.I. from outside of Atlantic Canada. Both individuals are self-isolating as required and being checked on daily by public health.
P.E.I. currently has 14 active cases of COVID-19. The province has had a total of 199 positive cases of the novel coronavirus since the pandemic began.
CHILD CARE CENTRE EXPOSURE IN EASTERN P.E.I.
Health officials on P.E.I. say there is no exposure risk of COVID-19 at an Eastern P.E.I. child care centre.
Earlier on Wednesday, the province announced the potential exposure at the centre – which has not been named.
In a news release Wednesday evening, public health says the individual has been tested again and received a negative COVID-19 result.
The child care centre in Eastern P.EI. will reopen on Thursday to resume usual operations.
COVID ALERT APP
Canada’s COVID-19 Alert app is available in Prince Edward Island.
The app, which can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play, notifies users if they may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
Prince Edward Island provides a list of possible COVID-19 symptoms on their website, which include:
- new or worsening cough
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- fever/chills
- sore throat
- runny nose, sneezing, congestion
- headache
- muscle/joint/body aches
- feeling unwell/unusual tiredness
- acute loss of sense of smell or taste
Other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea have been reported, but typically along with other COVID-19 symptoms, and may be seen more often in children.
