Access PEI offer shades to those waiting in 'extensive' Charlottetown lineups

New COVID-19 measures developedto maintainphysical distance among customers have caused lineups outside shops and services on P.E.I., including long lineups at Access PEI's Charlottetown office.

Officials there worried that in the middle of P.E.I.'s current heat wave,people could be vulnerable to the sun, sothey've set uptents along the side of the buildingto offer some reprieveto those in line.

"It's 27 degrees, you're walking into the building and there's 20 or 30 people in your lineup and so you're trying to maintain a safe environment in light of [COVID-19] inside your building, and now you have to refocus and look outside your buildingto make sure people aren't suffering from other things like heat stroke," said Mark Arsenault, director of Access PEI.

In addition to tents, Arsenault said staff are also providingwater to people while they wait. If people look uncomfortable or need assistance while in lineups, staff are on site to help.

"In Charlottetown where we've had, you know, extensive lineups of people waitingfor over an hour we had to make an adjustment," Arsenault said.

He said the adjustments for the unexpected heat wave have comeas staff continue to plan forCOVID-19 contingencies for staff and clients into the fall and winter.

It's possible clients may be able to wait in their vehicles and use a devicelike a buzzer that will alert them to come in, he said, similar to what is offered by some restaurants or pharmacies, but those plans are still in the early stages.

"We're just trying to find a way that, you know, we can be flexible in delivering services to Islanders in these uncertain times."

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