Yukon COVID-19 Update April 24, 2020

Friday, 24 April 2020 18:50

Yukon's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Brendan Hanley reported that as of April 24, at 3 p.m. the case count remains at 11 cases of COVID-19 in the territory.

Eight of the 11 people who have contracted COVID-19 in Yukon have recovered and all others are doing well at home. No one has had to go to a hospital.

From Monday, April 27, the criteria for who is tested for COVID-19 in Yukon will be expanded. People will be tested if they have any one of the following symptoms and if they have travelled outside the territory in the last 14 days or have had close contact with anyone who has travelled outside the territory.

The symptoms for recent travellers include fever, chills, cough, difficulty breathing, a sore throat or hoarse voice, headache, runny nose or nasal congestion, unexplained vomiting or diarrhea, fatigue or muscle aches, or loss of smell or taste.

People with no travel history but who are experiencing fever, cough, or difficulty breathing can also be tested. Testing will also be broadened in long-term care facility residents and the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter clients.

The reasons for broadening the testing criteria are that due to being well past the peak of flu season we are seeing less people come forward for testing. We wish to continue with high rates of testing to detect any COVID as early as possible. We also are working to continue to protect vulnerable populations and to increase our ability to detect signals of community transmission. Community transmission means it is no longer possible to trace how somebody became infected. The origin of all 11 cases in Yukon so far has been traced back to travel outside the territory.

Health care providers continue to have the discretion to make decisions about who is tested or not based on their clinical expertise. The self-assessment tool on Yukon.ca and the 811 Health Line will be updated with the new criteria on April 27.

Yukoners are reminded they can call their doctor for their regular health needs such as renewing medication, dealing with chronic health conditions or to discuss new concerns. Doctor's offices and community health centres remain open.

Information about health services support for communities during the pandemic has been added to Yukon.ca, including health care access, mental health services and the testing process. To keep up to date with the latest information, Yukoners should visit Yukon.ca/COVID-19.

More from CHON-FM Northern News

Daughter demands answers after second family member dies at 405 Alexander

Bailey's biological father also died at the shelter in 2021, and she claims that the shelter's staff provided conflicting accounts of the circumstances surrounding the death of her stepfather.
Yukon Risks Blackouts This Winter as Hydro Power Plant Undergoes Repairs

The Aishihik turbine was critically damaged in October, and repair work is not expected to be completed until spring.
YUKON'S SPEAKER DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM HIS OWN LIBERAL GOVERNMENT ABOUT POLITICAL INTERFERENCE WITH ELECTIONS YUKON AND TWO OTHER OVERSIGHT BODIES

Following complaints, Speaker Jeremy Harper writes to Sandy Silver to ask why the government is interfering with Elections Yukon, Yukon Child and Youth Advocate Office, and the office of the Yukon Ombudsman
Liard First Nation chief has lost confidence, been suspended by his community

LFN citizens who attended a public meeting Tuesday in Watson Lake overwhelmingly sided with the Deputy Chief and Council members who drafted a resolution to have Chief Stephen Charlie suspended from his duties
Liard First Nation Employees Fired After Advocating for Change

Emeral Poppe and Diana Lee Jimmy have been vocal advocates for change within Liard First Nation, raising concerns over transparency.
YFNED kicks off fifth-annual winter hamper program

"We try to support local as much as we can." - YFNED Acting Director of First Nation Initiatives Kim Rumley
Broken generator at Aishihik Generating Station puts pressure on the Yukon's electricity grid

The 12-megawatt generator failed due to a part malfunction, according to the Yukon Energy Corporation
Intergovernmental Forum takes place in Ottawa - not Yukon - for second year running

Forum discussed collaborative approaches to funding the implementation of Final and Self-Government Agreements.
Suspected contamination at the abandoned Wolverine Mine: Yukon government

The Yukon government has been addressing water treatment issues at the site since the mine's abandonment in 2015
Food For Fines Campaign Returns to Whitehors

Eligible tickets include: Expired parking meter fines, and Two-hour zone fines.
Yukon First Nations leadership and Yukon government leadership meet for 30th Yukon Forum

This was the third Yukon Forum of 2024. The last will be the Intergovernmental Forum in Ottawa in December.
Shot in the Dark Productions premiered two films at the Yukon Arts Centre

Shot in the Dark Productions believes puppets can captivate both children and adults, conveying important environmental science themes through entertainment.
Former Connective staff acquitted of sexual assault and exploitation charges

Judge Gurmail Gill found Omale not guilty due to inconsistencies in the complainant's testimony and lack of forensic evidence.
Whitehorse RCMP officers to start using body-worn cameras

The Yukon RCMP adopts body-worn cameras to bolster trust, accountability, and transparency in its community services
Whitehorse Community Thrift Store volunteers stop work following store manager's termination by its board of directors.

Thrift store society founder Karen Weinberg says the manager was fired for raising safety concerns.
Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin, Yukon NDP blast Yukon government for delays in Dawson Regional Land Use Plan

“Every day this plan doesn’t get done is another day of status quo for the mining industry. It’s starting to feel like this is by design.” - Yukon NDP Leader Kate White
Newly elected Whitehorse Mayor and Council sworn into office

Mayor Kirk Cameron and Councillors Anne Middler, Dan Boyd, Lenore Morris, Eileen Melynchuk, Jenny Hamilton, and Paolo Gallina have taken their oaths of office.
2024 Yukon River fall chum salmon run records dismal numbers

The Porcupine River revealed alarmingly low numbers, with 16,275 and 8,368 fish recorded
Trial of Former Connective residential support worker accused of sexually assaulting a vulnerable client commenced in Whitehorse territorial court on Monday.

Omale, 38 has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a person with a disability stemming from September 2023.
Whitehorse residents join Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition's Actions for Accountability Rally

Dozens of people marked Poverty and Homelessness Accountability week with a walk to the Jim Smith building, where the mother of a homeless man spent the night camping in the parking lot.