5 years on from COVID-19, what has P.E.I. learned when it comes to public health?

When Dr. Heather Morrison first met with fellow chief public health officers across Canada about a novel respiratory virus early in 2020, she didn't know just how wide-ranging the ramifications of what would become the COVID-19 pandemic would be for Prince Edward Island. 

"I don't think when we started meeting we ever anticipated the extent and length of time it would be with us," Morrison said in an interview with CBC News this month. 

The first case on P.E.I. was confirmed in March 2020. Within days, schools and workplaces, churches and concert halls all closed. Virtual activities took their place. Anyone wanting to come to P.E.I. had to be pre-approved, and was required to self-isolate until the virus's incubation period had passed. 

Case counts grew slowly, but still, Islanders stood in line for hours to get tested. In time, children returned to the classroom and a vaccine arrived. 

But in 2021, a new variant known as Omicron created new challenges for the Island, forcing P.E.I. into strict lockdowns such as the province had not seen before. Provincial officials had to respond quickly to protect Islanders, Morrison said.

The small size and island nature of P.E.I. made it unique in terms of how the virus spread and how the province responded in turn. Decisions were made by following the science wherever possible and making the best evidence-informed decisions with the information available, Morrison said. 

The provincial response had some effective outcomes — like the fact that the Island had the lowest death rate per capita of all Canadian provinces, and that there were no COVID-related deaths on P.E.I. for the first two years of the pandemic. 

But there were also unintended impacts of some of the measures, Morrison said. 

"In general, we made sure our health-care system was still able to function and not be overwhelmed in the ICU by so many sick people," she said. 

"I think we sometimes had collective trauma, and we have collective amnesia as a result of it, as well." 

Looking back on the response that started five years ago, and the effects it had on Islanders, she believes there are both lessons to be learned and moments to be proud of. 

The commitment of Islanders was a huge part of the province's pandemic response, Morrison said, adding that people responded to calls for testing, looked out for each other and wanted to protect their community. 

"We saw time and time again how much of a community we really were in," she said. 

That patience and kindness showed by Islanders during the early days of COVID-19 is something Morrison said she remembers most distinctly about that period of time.