Chief health officer Dr. Heather Morrison is concerned Friday’s massive Black Lives Matter march in Charlottetown could lead to community spread of COVID-19.
Morrison says while she does not approve large gatherings, she understands the importance of having voices heard, especially on such an important topic as Friday’s march which is part of a campaign against violence and systemic racism towards Black people.
“I think my level of concern is – and I have said this here before – I feel like I’m always worried about the spread of illness because I don’t want to see people sick and I don’t want to see people end up in hospital and unintentionally impact others,’’ Morrison said during a regular briefing Tuesday.
“I share concerns with other medical officers of health I know across the country of whether or not we will see an increase in cases of COVID-19 related to protests.’’
Charlottetown Police Chief Paul Smith estimated the march drew 8,000 to 10,000 people.
Morrison says she was pleased that organizers encouraged participants to wear masks and to stay two metres apart.
However, hundreds, if not thousands, of people failed to maintain the required social distancing of two metres and many did not wear masks.
Morrison says if a large community spread were to result from the march – a second one is taking place Tuesday in Summerside – the outbreak could have the potential to push back current easing of restrictions.
“If we find anyone who has COVID-19 who was involved in the protest, then of course there will be notification and the contact tracing will have to look different than it would if we knew exactly how many people – and who they were – in a different setting,’’ she says.
Morrison says any potential fall-out from the large march should be known in the next two weeks.
She encourages anyone who participated and becomes sick to be tested for COVID-19.
Morrison started her briefing by noting the overall picture is improving in Canada, where there are now more than 96,000 cases and over 7,800 deaths related to the coronavirus.
“The good news in Canada over the last seven days is that the daily case count is 27 per cent lower than the previous seven days and that daily death rate is 42 per cent lower than the previous seven days,’’ she says.
There are no new – or active – cases of COVID-19 in P.E.I. Almost 900 new tests have come back negative since Friday.
Morrison says the province plans to start immunity testing – a kind of serological survey - within the next few months to gain a better understanding of immune response to COVID-19 on
P.E.I. to help control the spread of infection in any possible future waves of the deadly virus.
“This risk of COVID-19 has not disappeared and the pandemic is not over although I know that we are all wishful that it will go away quickly,’’ she says.
“Let’s together look out for one another. Let’s be patient. Let’s be kind.’’
Marion Dowling, Health P.E.I.’s chief of nursing, says work is ongoing in reinstating services.
Surgeries are certainly on the rise. Just over 500 surgeries were performed in P.E.I. in May while 424 surgeries were completed just last week alone.
Islanders also again have access to community mental health and addictions walk-in clinic services.
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