COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Friday, Oct. 23

The town of Cornwall, P.E.I., is hosting a drive-thru Halloween eventon Oct. 30 to get peopleinvolved while continuing to followguidelines from theChief Public Health Office.

Charlottetown's annual 2020 Wintertide festival will go ahead this year but things will look a little different withCOVID-19 modificationsin place.

Health PEI has caught up with the mammogram backlog caused by the pandemic shutdown in the spring, but is now dealing with a growing number of no-shows for appointments.

The province announced it will increase funding by $1.1 million to eight Innovation PEI programs to help small businesses affected by COVID-19.

P.E.I.Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison told CBC News: CompassThursday that public health officials will attend Fridaynight's Charlottetown Islanders hockey game at the Eastlink Centre to make sure the massive operational plan is being followed. A maximum of 970 people will be allowed inside.

Summerside's Journal-Pioneer newspaper is returning as a weekly publication in early November after shutting down in the spring due to COVID-19, and staff and city politicians are pleased.

A legislative committee heard from theP.E.I. Nursing Home Association, including what they have learned from the pandemic.

P.E.I.'s golf courses have been busy, despite a lack of tourists during the pandemic.

There have been 64confirmed cases of COVID-19 on P.E.I. Of those, 63cases are now considered recovered. There have been no hospitalizations or deaths, and there is no evidence of community spread.

Also in the news

• The continued closure of the psychiatric unit at Charlottetown's Queen Elizabeth Hospital is unacceptable, says Green MLA TrishAltass.Psychiatric patients were sent home in March to make way for a potential influx of COVID-19 patients.
• Island craft lovers won't be able to enjoy the annual Three Oaks Craft Fairthis fall, but they will have a "COVID-friendly" alternativethis weekend in Summerside.
• P.E.I.'s retail sales took a big jump in August but they still have a wayto go before they reach pre-pandemic levels.

Further resources

• Here isinformation for livingwith the COVID-19 pandemic on P.E.I. including information on government relief programs, physical distancing measuresand 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.