Eight of the 22 COVID-19 cases on P.E.I. are considered recovered, said Dr. Heather Morrison, P.E.I.'s chief public health officer, during her Monday afternoon news briefing.

"It is not a signal to stop or slow down our public health measures and the worst of this is not over," she said.

Morrison highlighted that it has nearly been one month since the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on March 11.

As of Monday morning, Morrison noted there have been more than 15,500 cases of COVID-19 across Canada, with 280 deaths. She said the cases in Canada are doubling every three to five days.

So far, 1,300 P.E.I. tests have been conducted and nearly 1,000 of those have returned negative.

Locally, Morrison said close to 50 tests were done over the weekend and were performed on people considered to be at high risk, like health-care and community-care workers on P.E.I.

If we ease up now, we will not have the impact we need to protect Islanders and our system. — Dr. Heather Morrison

Those tests are pending and have been sent to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.

Increasing testing capacity

Morrison said she is expecting testing kits to be available Tuesday at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, so more tests can be performed locally.

By Thursday, she said tests will also be able to be conducted at the Prince County Hospital in Summerside.

"We must continue to physically distance, self-isolate when required on return from out of province and really to follow these recommendations and these public health measures," she reminded Islanders.

"If we ease up now, we will not have the impact we need to protect Islanders and our system."

The diligence Islanders show in following health measures, Morrison said, may affect how long they need to stay in place.

"The better we all do now, may mean we can ease up in a way that we all want, and we may be able to ease up earlier," she said.

Morrison said as of Sunday night, law enforcement had received more than 100 complaints of people not following the province's health order. Law enforcement knocked on over 70 doors, laid three charges and issued a number of written and verbal warnings.

Masks

While the most effective ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are practising physical distancing and staying home, Morrison noted the importance of masks for health-care workers treating patients experiencing respiratory symptoms.

She noted that wearing a homemade cloth mask in the community has not been proven to protect the person wearing it.

However, she said wearing a mask in public places where physical distancing is a challenge could help protect other people around you, if you are in the early stages of illness.

"A mask in this case is similar to coughing into a sleeve," Morrison said.

But she emphasized that wearing a mask is not a replacement for other health measures and recommendations.

Virtual care

There are plans to launch a virtual care platform that would be used by health-care professionals to treat patients online, Health PEI's chief of nursing Marion Dowling announced.

Health PEI's chief of nursing Marion Dowling spoke about the province's efforts to find ways to conserve medical equipment. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)

The online platform — to be launched this week — would be used by physicians and nurses as well as mental health and addictions professionals.

Health-care professionals are learning how to use the new tool, and once training is complete, the service will be launched, Dowling said.

Dowling said all Health PEI facilities have started saving used N95 masks as a part of efforts to figure out how to reuse them.

She said the province is anticipating a shipment of ventilators later Monday or Tuesday. She also said the province has already received other equipment from the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile, including gloves and reusable gowns, which will be used at the QEH and PCH.

Over the weekend, Dowling said almost 150 patients were seen in Charlottetown's cough and fever clinic and 63 were seen in Summerside.

Essential workers

Morrison reminded essential workers returning from out of province that they must self-isolate while off the job. She said essential workers who must travel need to stay diligent to prevent community transmission.

Morrison said the province continues to receive calls from Islanders about walks and people not physically distancing.

She reminded Islanders that they should not be going on walks with people outside of their households and should practise physical distancing with people outside of their household while on walks.

Morrison also addressed online shop and swaps. She said payments should be made online and people should make sure no contact is made at dropoffs. If it is not an essential purchase, she said people should delay.

COVID-19: What you need to know

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

Common symptoms include:

Fever.

Cough.

Tiredness.

But more serious symptoms can develop, including difficulty breathing and pneumonia, which can lead to death.

Health Canada has built a self-assessment tool.

What should I do if I feel sick?

Isolate yourself and call 811. Do not visit an emergency room or urgent care centre to get tested. A health professional at 811 will give you advice and instructions.

How can I protect myself?

Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Clean regularly touched surfaces regularly.

Practise physical distancing.

More detailed information on the outbreak is available on the federal government's website.

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