Summerside residents put on alert after 3 new P.E.I. cases detected

The P.E.I. city of Summersidehas been placed on COVID-19 alert after the Island's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, confirmed acluster of three new casesThursday evening.

The cluster consists of three males in their 20s. The cases are currently under investigation and contact tracing is underway, said a press release that alsopromiseda public update Friday.

Anyone livingin Summerside who is experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19is being urged to get tested Friday and self-isolateuntilresults come back.

The news release said there will be increased testing capacity available at the city's Slemon Park facility.

Summerside has a population of about 15,000 people.

Prince Edward Island now has six active cases of COVID-19, and has diagnoseda total of 120 casessince thepandemic began almost a year ago.

Two of those active cases were announced Wednesday after two women travelled within Atlantic Canada.

Upon their return, Morrison told CBC on Thursday, one of them visitedthe Toys R Us store in Charlottetown between10 a.m. and noon AT.

Investigation underway

Morrison said an investigation is underway involving any public health orders that may have been violated.

Since the Atlantic bubble closed in December, in the face of rising case counts in the other three provinces in the region, anyone who has been off the Island must self-isolate on return.

There are a few exceptions, involving single-day travel for a limited number of reasons, where the people involved do not have to self-isolate if they remained masked at all times and observed physical distancing.

The symptoms of COVID-19 can include:

• Fever.
• Cough or worsening of a previous cough.
• Possible loss of taste and/or smell.
• Sore throat.
• New or worsening fatigue.
• Headache.
• Shortness of breath.
• Runny nose.

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