22 people in hospital on P.E.I. with COVID-19

Prince Edward Island reported 22 people in hospital with COVID-19 — 12 admitted due to the virus and 10 admitted for other reasons who tested positive — in an update released Tuesday.

One person is in intensive care, the province said in the first of what will now be weekly COVID updates on Tuesdays.

In the same release, P.E.I. reported 2,038 cases of COVID-19 confirmed by the provincial testing system since the province last updated numbers on March 16. 

P.E.I.'s testing capacity became overwhelmed two weeks ago, resulting in changes to testing, which affected the number of positive cases being reported. Any close contact of a positive case who develops symptoms no longer needs to be tested at a clinic, but can assume they are positive. Close contacts include family members, kids at child-care, or a friend who slept over.

On average, there have been 342 lab-confirmed new cases per day over the last seven days, almost matching the rate reported last week, but given the reduced requirements for testing it's likely not an accurate reflection of COVID-19 spread on the Island.

There have been outbreaks among patients and staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, as well as at six long-term care/community care facilities, including Garden Home, Summerset Manor, Whisperwood Villa, Old Rose Lodge Community Care and Andrews of Parkhill Community Care. 

Notably, Garden Home had 15 cases among residents and 27 among staff, but many have been resolved. There are now fewer than five active cases in each group, according to the province. 

Six residents of long-term or community care have been hospitalized and 11 have died.

There are 27 early learning or child-care centres experiencing outbreaks — 23 are open, one is closed and three are operating at modified capacity. 

Currently the province is reporting 3,294 active cases, and 20,035 "resolved" cases.

Cases have been highest among Islanders 20 to 39 years old, accounting for more than 34 per cent of positive cases. However, those over 60 are much more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, with 77 per cent of hospitalizations occurring in that age group. 

Seventy-five people have required hospitalization with COVID-19 during the pandemic so far, and 16 people have died. 

As far as the vaccination status of those who have been hospitalized, 29 per cent of people hospitalized with COVID-19 on P.E.I. have been triple-vaccinated, more than 46 per cent have been double-vaccinated, and almost 19 per cent have been unvaccinated.