Charlottetown, PE – The Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce released the following statement in response to the provincial government’s decision to enforce province-wide modified red level restrictive measures for a three-day period, effective as of March 1 at 12:01 AM until March 4 at 12:01 AM:

“This announcement is very unfortunate for many businesses and their employees who are directly impacted by this three-day lockdown,” said Penny Walsh-McGuire, CEO of the GCACC. “These recent clusters of cases reinforce how critical it is for everyone to follow public health guidelines. The implications for not doing so negatively affects our entire population.”

The Chamber recognizes the need to manage the increase of COVID-19 cases and break the chain of transmission through these measures. They add that consistent communication from the provincial government and support for those impacted businesses and their employees will be important as they navigate the next 72 hours.

“As a community, we have shown resiliency through this pandemic, and we must remain vigilant so that businesses, employees, and Islanders alike can return to the new normal,” said Walsh-McGuire. “We encourage Islanders to continue to support local businesses through safe alternatives such as ordering take-out, home delivery, curbside pick up, and by shopping with local retailers online.”

As of March 1, 2021, at 12:01 AM, the following measures will be in place for all of PEI:

• No personal gatherings; each household can associate with two (2) other consistent individuals for essential support; individuals who live alone may associate with another household;
• Stay home as much as possible;
• No organized gatherings; funerals can have no more than ten (10) people (plus officiants);
• All recreational facilities are closed, including gyms, fitness facilities, bingo halls, casinos, museums, and libraries; no organized sports or recreation activities;
• Only essential businesses and services are permitted to be open to the public;
  • Examples of services that can remain open to the public include medical and dental services, child care; grocery stores, pharmacies, take-out and delivery of food, utility services, manufacturing and processing, transportation services, gas stations, banks and essential financial institutions, public safety services and liquor stores;
• For essential retail services, operation at 50% of standard operating capacity is permitted, with monitoring of entrances and exits to ensure capacity is not exceeded;
• Non-essential businesses, services and organizations that are closed to the public may continue to operate by phone, virtual services, delivery, or pick up;
• No changes for long term care – residents are still permitted to have up to three partners in care and up to six visitors; and
• Schools, post-secondary institutions and training programs across the province are closed.