COVID-19 on P.E.I.: What's happening Thursday, Oct. 29

Prince Edward Island once more has no active cases of COVID-19,Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrisontold Louise Martin of CBC: NewsCompass as they taped an interview to air Thursday evening. There was only one active case as of Tuesday, when Morrison gave her regular weekly briefing.

The federal government will give P.E.I.almost $1 millionto help Island farmers better protect the health and safety of farm workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The annual poppy campaign on P.E.I. starts Friday, and organizers hope COVID-19 won't hurt fundraising efforts.

About 16 islands responded to a call for data from the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, which is working on aresearch projectabout how islands are handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental health calls to police have been soaring in recent years, and the pandemic appears to be making the problem worse.

Demand is up at P.E.I.'s main food bank and soup kitchen, and its manager saysthere's a direct link to the pandemic.

Island schools are still COVID-free, but teachers are reporting heavier workloads and stress related to the pandemic.

Halloween is on for Prince Edward Island, and Dr. Morrison offered tips for safe trick-or-treating during the pandemic.

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

Also in the news

• A new supply of government-backed gift cards to encourage Islanders to spend locally will be available Thursday.
• Low COVID-19 numbers could bring health professionals to P.E.I, the Island's health minister says.
• The risk of your pet getting or spreading coronavirus remains extremely low, says an Atlantic Veterinary College professor, despite the recent case of a dog in Ontario.
• Theatre capacity at Confederation Centre under COVID-19 rules has been raised to 300.
• Feelings of safety will be a key factor in restoring tourism, says an executive with Destination Canada.

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 is a look at how coronavirus is spreading across Canada.

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