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# May 26, 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 26, 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 1,159 people have been tested. We have had no new cases since April 20.

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.

Weekday updates

We update information about COVID-19 cases and tests every weekday on Yukon.ca, except public holidays. The information we publish 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. Today’s update focusses on the modelling work being done within the CMOH office. Copies of this technical briefing presentation are available here.

Single site survey

To address the potential risk of COVID-19 transmission from the movement of staff, volunteers and contractors between certain facilities, such as long term care facilities, and other volunteer and employment settings, the Chief Medical Officer of Health will collect information to identify where there is cross over.

As Yukon prepares to shift into a new phase of the pandemic response it, may be necessary to restrict movement of certain employees between facilities and other employment types in order to lessen the risk of COVID-19 transmission in these facilities. The goal of this project is to ensure the continuity of services and to protect the health of residents and employees in facilities, while mitigating impacts on operations and on affected staff.

All information is being collected through a secure on-line portal and in accordance with applicable Yukon privacy legislation.

Day camps/Canada Games Centre

Since the publication of the guidelines for summer day camps, City of Whitehorse camps and Polarettes have had their plans okayed. Additional plans are being reviewed this week. .

The phased in reopening of the Canada Games Centres has also been approved. The plan allows for time at each phase to educate, monitor, adjust and evaluate before moving on, similar to the government’s reopening plan.

Paramedic Services Week

May 24 to 30 is Paramedic Services Week and thanks go to our volunteer Emergency Medical Responders, Advanced, Critical and Primary Care Paramedics, the Critical Care Nurses working alongside them on the medevac crews, and dispatchers and other Emergency Medical Services staff working behind the scenes to support them.

Of the almost 200 members of Yukon Emergency Medical Services, more than 100 are volunteer Emergency Medical Responders. They’re the backbone of EMS operations in 15 communities across the territory. These volunteer paramedics go above and beyond the call of duty, even responding to serious incidents outside of their scheduled hours. We thank them for their dedication, hard work, and giving their time to support their communities.

Morel Mushroom season

Yukoners will now be able to obtain permits for harvesting morel mushrooms commercially provided they remain compliant with the six steps to staying safe. Travel to Yukon is not permitted for commercial harvesting of mushrooms and permits will not be issued to non-Yukon residents.

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; limiting travel to communities and self-isolating when required.

Latest information

To keep up to date with the latest information and to read the government’s reopening plan, A Path Forward: Yukon’s plan for lifting COVID-19 restrictions, 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 #:
20-151
Related information:
COVID-19: Modelling in Yukon presentation for May 26, 2020