P.E.I. reports five people in hospital due to COVID-19 on Monday, one in ICU

Prince Edward Island says, as of Monday, there are five people in hospital due to COVID-19, with one person in intensive care.

As of Saturday, Jan. 8, public health says 95.7 per cent of eligible Island residents age 12 years and over have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 92.4 per cent are fully vaccinated with two doses.

Forty-seven per cent of children aged five to 11 have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and over 25,000 eligible Islanders have received their third dose.

NEW CASES

Dr. Heather Morrison, P.E.I.'s chief public health officer, announced 320 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, along with 436 recoveries, bringing the total number of active infections to 1,517.

Morrison says the new cases are still under investigation.

Over the last week, there has been an average of 175 cases per day on P.E.I.

COVID-19 TESTING

In order to preserve the limited capacity of Health PEI testing clinics, health officials say testing will continue to be limited to the following individuals until further notice:

• symptomatic individuals
• close contacts of positive cases
• confirmatory tests for individuals who test preliminary positive at a point-of-entry
• confirmatory tests for individuals who test preliminary positive with a rapid antigen test

Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should isolate until they are able to be tested and continue to isolate after being tested until a negative result is received.

Individuals who do not have symptoms do not require testing (unless in one of the above categories). Those who are presenting for testing related to travel (for example: day 4 tests) will be provided with at home rapid antigen tests, two tests to be taken 48 hours apart.