'Stay home if you can,' urges P.E.I. chief public health officer

P.E.I. bars and restaurants willclosein-room dining effective immediately, says Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison.

In anews briefing Tuesday,Morrison emphasized the need for Islanders to stay home if they can and as much as possible, regardless of whether they have a travel history.

"For those of you who are not self-isolating, this means you are home as much as possible andasking that question, do you really need to leave?" said Morrison.

"The best way for us to come together right now is if we stay apart."

Morrison said theatres, including movie theatres, and indoor play areas will also close. Shealso recommended the closure of dental clinics for at least two weeks, with emergencies to be handled on a case-by-case basis.

For wakes and funerals,visiting hours only are permitted with fewer than 20 people and funeralservices need to be postponed or delayed.Morrisonencouraged Islanders to instead send donations and condolences online.

"Closure for families and grief process, this is very difficult," she said. "We think this is the best approach ...trying to keep everyone safe."

WestJet Flight 3440

There is still only one confirmed case of COVID-19 in the province. Morrison saidthe Queens County woman in her 50s is still at home and doing well.

Health officials are alerting anyone who was onWestJet Flight 3440 on March 7 from Toronto to Monctonto self-isolate as the Island's sole confirmed case of COVID-19 was on that flight.New Brunswick health authorities are relaying the same message.

The best way for us to come together right now is if we stay apart.' Dr. Heather Morrison

"That will likely impact more New Brunswickers than Islanders," she said, addingthat the identity of theindividual on the flight will not be revealed.

"Anonymity of cases is very important, it's essential."

Morrison said almost150 tests have been conducted on the Island. Some results are still pending but officialsare expecting to receive the results of some of those additional tests laterTuesday.

75%occupancy rate

Health PEI's Chief of NursingMarion Dowlingalso spoke at the news briefing, sayingHealth PEI has implemented itsessential services planwhichwill remain in place for three weeks. This means rescheduling non-essential services during that time.

Dowling said emergency care will continue, but patients that are less sick are asked to book through community-based appointmentsin order to keep up the capacity of the emergency rooms.

Non-emergency surgeries are also being rescheduled.

Dowling also spoke about preparing for a spike in cases at Charlottetown'sQueen Elizabeth Hospital.

"We're aiming towards 75 per cent occupancy rate. We run way closer to 100 per cent now," she said. "Some elective procedures won't be continuing so that will give us some capacity."

Dowling also said that some staff within the health system are inself-isolationand other staff may bemoved from their regular jobsto help deal with the crisis.

"We're also working on a list of retirees and volunteers to help support our staffing efforts, and we've received a good response," she said.

'Stay home'

Morrisonsaid she has received some indication that Islanders are not taking the recommendations seriously and officialsare relying on Islanders to help protect the most vulnerable in an effort to flatten the curve of the virus.

"I'm saying stay home unless you need to go out to get groceries. I think that's pretty clear. We need to take this seriously. I'm not sure everyone on P.E.I. understands that it's important to self-isolate," she said.

Morrison said she'srelying on Islanders to help protect the most vulnerable, which means not going for a walk in a crowded place, not going to the bank and staying away from other people.

In Tuesday's briefing, Morrison also said that 29 registered nursesas well as 11 new call takers have been added to 811, a service shared with Nova Scotia.

"We hope that, together with Nova Scotia, will help address some of the issues of wait times," she said.

COVID-19: What you need to know

What are the symptoms ofCOVID-19?

Common symptoms include:

• Fever.
• Cough.
• Tiredness.

• But more serious symptoms can develop, including difficulty breathing and pneumonia, which can lead to death.

  What should I do if I feel sick?

  Isolate yourself andcall your local public health authority. Do not visit an emergency room or urgent care centre to get tested.

  How can I protect myself?

• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Be aware ofevolving travel advisoriesto different regions.

• More detailed information on the outbreak is available on thefederal government's website.

More COVID-19 stories from CBC P.E.I.