COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Wednesday, Sept. 30

Coach Atlantic says it lost a $1 million contract after one of its top touroperators from the United States cancelled all visits to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick for 2021.

The P.E.I.Economic Growth Minister says it's time to review thebusiness support programsthat were quicklyrolled out back in March when the pandemic hit.

Following the announcement that all P.E.I. school Christmas craft fairs would be prohibited this year due to COVID-19, anewweekend craft shop for local artisansis opening on the Island leading up to the holidays.

The P.E.I. giant pumpkin weigh-off is closed to the public this yearbut the scales will still be ready for growers on Thanksgiving weekend.

The Island has adopted a new alert system to help Islanders navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the start of the pandemic, P.E.I.Chief Public Health OfficerDr. Heather Morrison says her office has received negative comments, in some cases threats, from Islanders in relation to the COVID-19 rules in the province.

P.E.I. has identified one new case of COVID-19 in the province, an Island man in his 20s, who had travelled outside the Atlantic bubble.

Visitors to P.E.I.'s COVID-19 clinics are receiving their test results "almost always" within 24 hours, says medical microbiologist Dr. Greg German.

P.E.I. government officials say the Access PEI site in Montague will reopen to the public sometime in October, but the date has not yet been set.

There have been 59confirmed cases of COVID-19 on the Island, with 57 considered recovered. There have been no hospitalizations or deaths, and there is no evidence of community spread.

Also in the news

• With the devastating tourism season of 2020 behind it, the P.E.I. industry is looking ahead with continued uncertainty.
• Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown is concerned work-from-home initiatives are draining away customers from the downtown.
• A P.E.I. gift card program designedto support the Island tourism industry had a successful first day Monday, with some retailers reporting that they had soldup to 40 per cent of their stock before noon.
• The COVID-19 testing clinic in Charlottetown has moved to the former government garage on Park Street, and out of the Eastlink Centre.

Further resources

• Here isinformation for livingwith the COVID-19 pandemic on P.E.I. including information on government relief programs, physical distancing measures, and essential health services.
• Here is achart tracking COVID-19 numbers and a timeline of COVID-19-related events on P.E.I.
• Here isa guide onwhat parents and students need to knowabout attending school.

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