P.E.I. not lifting mask mandates as COVID-19 restrictions ease

A masks mandate isn’t going away in P.E.I. this week because the province strikes to the subsequent section of its COVID-19 reopening plan.

Chief public well being officer Dr. Heather Morrison offered the replace throughout an April 5 briefing as she mentioned the easing of restrictions coming into impact this week.

Though some restrictions are lifting, Morrison stated masks mandates for public areas will stay till April 28.

Morrison stated carrying a masks is an efficient manner of lowering the transmission of COVID-19.

“Masks do matter,” she stated.

The adjustments in restrictions will come after per week throughout which there have been 2,576 new circumstances in P.E.I.

That features 401 new circumstances on April 4.

Morrison stated there was one dying in P.E.I. associated to COVID-19 during the last seven days.

There are 3,619 energetic circumstances in P.E.I. and a median of 367 circumstances per day during the last week.

Morrison stated there are 30 folks in hospital with COVID-19, together with 14 who have been admitted due to the virus.

Of these, three are within the intensive care unit.

Through the briefing, Morrison stated that efficient 11:59 p.m. tonight, the province’s state of emergency shall be lifted.

The state of emergency has been in place since March 2020.

The change to the subsequent section of the province’s moving on plan consists of no gathering limits on sports activities and no capability limits at occasions like marriage ceremony receptions.

Among the many different adjustments, full capability shall be allowed at eating places and meals premises.

There shall be no common screening at factors of entry and shut contacts of optimistic circumstances received’t be required to self-isolate.

Morrison stated the state of public well being emergency shall be changed with an order beneath the Public Well being Act.

Constructive circumstances will nonetheless should isolate, Morrison stated.

College students and college workers will nonetheless have to be examined 3 times per week.

Premier Dennis King additionally spoke through the briefing and stated it’s attending to the purpose the place folks should make their very own decisions and he expects many individuals will proceed to put on masks as soon as the mandate is lifted.

King stated there should come a time when authorities received’t must mandate these issues.

He added that P.E.I. isn’t there but.

King, who just lately confirmed he examined optimistic for COVID-19, stated he is aware of there are some individuals who haven’t had their third vaccine dose.

He stated that talking from private expertise, it’s value getting it.