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# May 8, 2020: COVID-19 update

Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Brendan Hanley has the following updates for the Yukon public on measures being taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 cases and recoveries

As of today, May 8, at 2 p.m. the case count remains at 11 cases of COVID-19 in the territory.

All of the 11 people who have contracted COVID-19 in Yukon have recovered. There are no active cases in the territory and 1,075 individuals have been tested.

We have traced each case in Yukon so far to its origin which means there continues to be no known community spread in the territory. We assume community spread has occurred when we can no longer trace how somebody became infected.

Daily updates

The Government of Yukon publishes information about COVID-19 tests daily on Yukon.ca. This includes how many confirmed cases there are in Yukon, how many tests have been negative, how many results are pending, the total number of tests and how many people have recovered.

Guidelines for health care professionals

We are providing guidelines to help health care practitioners who aren’t doctors and nurses to reopen their businesses in ways that will keep their clients safe. These practitioners are called allied health professionals and they include:

- acupuncturists;
- chiropractors;
- naturopaths;
- occupational therapists;
- osteopaths;
- physiotherapists; and
- registered massage therapists.

Under the new guidelines, practitioners will call patients 24 hours before their appointment to screen them for COVID-19 and should maintain physical distancing when they meet patients in person.

Guidelines for optometrists

We are also providing guidelines for optometrists to help them provide services safely to Yukoners during the pandemic.

Health care workers

We do not require health care workers to self-isolate and avoid social gatherings when they’re not at work. However, we do ask them to comply with all current recommendations and orders, including holding any social gatherings outdoors and in a well-spaced grouping of not more than 10 people.

Supporting fundraisers

We encourage Yukoners to find new ways to support charities or take part in fundraising activities during the pandemic. This is as long as people have the money or time to participate and activities are carried out safely.

Run for Mom, for example, which takes place on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10, is inviting Yukoners to run, walk or cycle any route they choose while practising safe spacing rather than take part in the usual annual run around the 4.2 kilometre Millennium Trail in Whitehorse.

Run for Mom is an annual event to raise awareness of breast health and money for breast imaging equipment at Whitehorse General Hospital.

Six steps to staying safe

The six steps to staying safe and stopping the spread of COVID-19 are: physical distancing; regular hand washing; staying home when sick; not gathering in groups of more than 10; avoiding unnecessary travel to communities and self-isolating when required.

Latest information

To keep up to date with the latest information, Yukoners should visit Yukon.ca/COVID-19.

Media contact

Pat Living
Communications, Health and Social Services
867-335-1531
patricia.living@gov.yk.ca

News release #:
20-126