Declaration forms will again be part of Atlantic bubble travel for visitors to P.E.I.

Residents of Atlantic Canada visiting P.E.I. when the bubble opens next month will face similar travel conditions as they did in the 2020 bubble.

The Atlantic bubble, which allows travel between the four provinces without a need to self-isolate during the COVID-19 pandemic, is due to open up again by April 19.

P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison provided some detail about how the bubble will work during her regular, weekly briefing Tuesday.

"Similar to last year, residents living in other Atlantic provinces will be required to complete a declaration form prior to travelling to P.E.I.," said Morrison.

"Island residents who travel within the bubble will not be required to submit a declaration when returning home, but again like last year P.E.I. residents will undergo a general COVID screening at the point of entry and will need to show identification."

Case monitoring continues

The province is making plans to accommodate an expected increase in traffic at points of entry, which at this point is just Confederation Bridge. The ferry will start running May 1, and Charlottetown Airport currently has no direct connections to Atlantic Canada.

Morrison noted the date for the opening of the bubble is not firm, and the final decision will be made by the premiers.

"We will continue to monitor the number of cases in the region, including unlinked cases and outbreaks," she said.

"The prevalence of cases related to variants of concern will be a key factor along with any geographical spread of cases between provinces."

An Atlantic bubble was open in 2020 from July 3 to Nov. 23.

It closed when COVID-19 case numbers began to rise in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

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