By the close of 2020, PEI withdrew from the Atlantic Bubble and eased some restrictions, resulting in a slow but steady rise in active cases.
In December 2021, PEI was breaking its own daily records of confirmed infections, with active cases surpassing the 1000 mark by early January 2022.
However, on January 14, 2022, the first deaths related to COVID-19 in Prince Edward Island were reported, with fatalities rising sharply throughout the year.
Despite the rising fatality rate, many health restrictions were abandoned in favor of bolstering the local economy.
By the start of the 2022 tourist season, masking, social distancing, testing mandates and vaccine passports were eliminated.