Dr. Heather Morrison has confirmed that the Easter Bunny does not have coronavirus (COVID-19), according to her sources.
P.E.I.'s chief public health officer went on to say that the same goes for Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy because they all have good immune systems. Morrison anticipates that the Easter Bunny will be working hard this Easter weekend, and hopes the pandemic doesn't keep him from visiting P.E.I. families.
"I would put the Easter Bunny as an essential worker. Although he may not have quite the same supply as other years."
Premier Dennis King added that, historically, the Easter Bunny has been good at social distancing. This is likely because he does most of his work during the night, Morrison said.
The confirmation was prompted during a Q&A session, called Denny & the Doc, held to address the concerns of P.E.I.'s youth on April 6. Questions were submitted by youth - ranging from four-year-olds to high school students - for Morrison and King to answer during a Facebook live session.
"So many of the questions that we get asked on a regular basis reflect how quickly our lives have changed in very, very short time," King said.
Watch a replay of the session
A boy from Souris asked whether any kids have COVID-19. Morrison said that as of April 6 there have been 58 children tested on P.E.I., all of which tested negative.
"And across the country, of the 15,500 cases, less than five per cent of the cases have been in children."
Some Islanders' questions touched on topics similar to what Morrison covers in her daily media sessions, such as why social distancing and washing hands are important. Other questions wanted to know why the pandemic started and how long it's going to go on for.
"How many more weeks until I can hug my grammy?" A girl from Cardigan asked.
Morrison emphathized with this girl as she also has loved ones she's unable to hug during this time, such as her mother. She hopes that the more Islanders abide by her office's recommendations now, the sooner they'll be able to ease up on these restrictions, she said.
"Not tomorrow, and not next week. But if we do this really well, I'm hoping it'll be sooner than later," she said.
Another question from a boy in Clyde River may have been better suited for his parents - however, the premier and public health officer were willing to chime in.
"Why do we have to go to bed like usual when we have nowhere to go in the morning?" the boy asked.
King noted that his youngest child has approached him with this question as well. King's response is that it's always important for people to have and maintain a routine.
"If you stay up all night and then you stay in bed until noontime, your productivity stops," he said.
A high school student asked whether they'd be able to have time docked off the year needed for their driving training - King said as of now there's nothing that can be done, mostly because it's important to have a proper amount of time to prepare for something like this.
As well, neither King nor Morrison could speak to concerns of students who plan to attend off-Island colleges or universities in the fall. King did suggest that an announcement would be made as soon as this week regarding what will be done for students unable to work this summer because of the pandemic.
