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# April 20, 2020: Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health provides update on COVID-19

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, April 20, at 3 p.m. there are two new cases of COVID-19 in the territory, bringing the total number of cases to 11. The new cases relate to a cluster in Whitehorse that is associated with international travel. Contact tracing and investigation continue.

Eight of the 11 people who have contracted COVID-19 in Yukon, including all people not involved in the present cluster, have recovered and all are doing well.

Each case in Yukon so far can be traced to its origin and there continues to be no known community transmission in the territory. Community transmission is assumed to have occurred when it is no longer possible to trace how somebody became infected.

Daily updates

Information about COVID-19 tests is published 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.

Contact tracing

Whenever new cases of COVID-19 occur in the territory that can be traced to a particular person, Yukon Communicable Disease Control will contact anyone who has had close contact with that person and let them know what steps they must take to avoid spreading infection, such as self-isolating and monitoring themselves for symptoms. Each person will be given direction according to their individual circumstances.

Travellers returning to Yukon

People returning to Yukon who are self-isolating for 14 days and who develop symptoms or whose symptoms worsen should call 811 or their family physician if they are in Whitehorse. People in communities who develop symptoms should call their local health centre.

Mental health support

Mental health should be a priority for Yukoners to help them manage their way through the pandemic. Reaching out for mental wellness support is proactive health care.

Advice for mental health self-care includes being kind to yourself, getting outside for at least 15 to 20 minutes a day, appreciating nature, eating well and staying hydrated, monitoring your caffeine and alcohol intake, getting eight hours of sleep a night and taking medications as prescribed.

Anyone seeking support can call Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services at 867-456-3838 or toll free at 1-866-456-3838. People can also call the Canadian Mental Health Association for phone counselling appointments at 867-668-6429.

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 #:
20-108