By Canadian Press

P.E.I. reports 2 new COVID-19 cases linked to local man who returned from Nova Scotia

Jul 5, 2020 | 12:47 PM

CHARLOTTETOWN — Prince Edward Island has reported two new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to five in the past 48 hours after the province went more than two months without a positive test.

In a news conference Sunday, the province’s chief public health officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, said the two new cases — both men in their 20s — were in close contact with a local man who had travelled to Nova Scotia.

That man, also in his 20s, tested positive for the virus upon his return to the island on Monday.

“We are experiencing a cluster of four cases that appear to be related to travel to Nova Scotia and contact with an individual who had recently arrived from the United States,” Morrison said.

“At this point there is no evidence of community spread of COVID-19 in our province and the risk of transmission of COVID-19 within the province remains low.”

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Before this weekend, the province’s last COVID-19 positive test came in late April.

Morrison said public health officials in P.E.I. and Nova Scotia have been in close communication to trace the COVID-19 cluster.

The P.E.I. man travelled to Nova Scotia for personal reasons on June 26 and returned to the island on June 29, Morrison said.

He is believed to have come into contact with someone there who had travelled to the U.S.

“This cluster of cases is a clear reminder that COVID-19 is still very much present in our province and we must remain vigilant,” Morrison said.

Morrison said COVID-19 tests were also carried out in relation to the other two COVID-19 cases that were confirmed Saturday.

A man in his 50s who travelled outside the province tested positive for the virus, the P.E.I. government announced Saturday, as did a woman in her 20s who was in contact with the man who travelled to Nova Scotia.

That woman worked at Whisperwood Villa, a seniors’ residence in Charlottetown, and listed nine close contacts — all of whom have tested negative for COVID-19, Morrison said.

Morrison said 140 staff members and 129 residents at Whisperwood Villa were also tested for COVID-19 on Saturday and their results all came back negative.

Four or five staff members and two residents still need to be tested, she said, and all the residents and staff members will be tested again later this week.

People who visited the residence last Tuesday also will be contacted for testing, Morrison added.

She reiterated that the new COVID-19 cases are not related to seasonal residents of P.E.I. or to the Atlantic bubble.

As of Friday, residents of P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador have been allowed to travel freely between the provinces without needing to self-isolate upon arrival.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2020.

— By Jillian Kestler-D’Amours in Montreal.

The Canadian Press