Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King says Atlantic Canadians should be able to travel within the four provinces sometime in early July.
King delivered the assessment Wednesday following an Atlantic premiers’ meeting, saying he and his colleagues are committed to providing safe and efficient travel in the region without the need to self-isolate.
King’s optimistic forecast comes as COVID-19 cases continue to decline across the region, which relies heavily on the summer tourist season for economic survival.
The Confederation Bridge across the Abegweit Passage of the Northumberland Strait links Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. (CBC)
P.E.I. has had no new cases in the last two weeks and Newfoundland and Labrador just one. Nova Scotia has had nine in that time frame.
However, New Brunswick is dealing with an outbreak in the Campbellton area, with four new cases announced on Wednesday, bringing the total number of active cases in the province to 29.
“There seems to be agreement from all premiers that if the epidemiology continues on the trajectory that it’s on that we could probably see some Atlantic bubbling sometime in early July,” King said.
“If something were to happen that might cause one of the provinces to hold back, we might very well see two provinces start, another one may join a few days later so we don’t really have a hard and fast date.”
King said he didn’t anticipate an Atlantic bubble being expanded to allow visitors from Quebec and Ontario before the end of the year.
Whales and icebergs normally draw thousands of tourists to Newfoundland and Labrador. There is growing uncertainty about how tourism will proceed this year amid the coronavirus. (Kris Prince/Submitted)
“If we get to a point where we could do an Atlantic bubble that would pretty much be the extent of the bubble for this year,” he said.
“We would still expect anybody who was travelling to Prince Edward Island or to the region from Quebec or beyond that they would need to self-isolate and have a self-isolation plan if they were to get here.”
The Atlantic Provinces Economic Council argues that the economic and social costs of the pandemic need more consideration in the coming months. (novascotia.com)
In a commentary released Wednesday morning, the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council said an Atlantic bubble could balance economic, social and health costs of the COVID-19 pandemic, and provide future benefits.
APEC estimates regional growth has shrunk by 20 per cent this quarter in a region where trade among Atlantic provinces accounts for about 30 per cent of total interprovincial trading.
“We’ve felt the consequences of isolation, being stuck inside, and lack of human contact on our physical, mental and emotional health,” writes APEC president and CEO David Chaundy.
“Maintaining excessively strict measures will compound these costs every month they remain in place.”
With files from CBC News (Wayne Thibodeau, Kevin Yarr)
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