Long-term care COVID-19 outbreak declared at Whistle Bend Place

The Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health (OCMOH) has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Whistle Bend Place long-term care home following the identification of several linked cases.

Routine outbreak management procedures have been put in place to keep staff and residents safe. Whistle Bend Place is working closely with the OCMOH and Yukon Communicable Disease Control (YCDC) to contain the outbreak and ensure infection prevention and control practices are followed. Further testing, investigation and contact tracing is currently underway.

All in-person visits to the affected house are suspended until the outbreak is declared over and virtual visits will be supported. Exceptions will be made for end-of-life visits.  

The unaffected houses at Whistle Bend Place remain open to visitors.  Visitors must be fully vaccinated and follow the infection control measures in place in all long-term care homes, including:

  • visiting only one home per day;
  • answering screening questions when entering;
  • wearing the provided medical-grade masks at all times in the care home;
  • proceeding directly to and from the resident’s room and confining visits to the room, unless going for a walk outdoors or gathering in a previously booked room; and
  • staying home if sick, even if symptoms are mild.

Thank you to everyone who worked carefully to contain the spread and quickly implement infection control measures as soon as the first case was confirmed. It’s important for all residents, staff, family members and visitors to continue following public health measures to keep everyone safe. 

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jesse Kancir

Media contact 

Samantha Henney
Communications, Health and Social Services
867-332-8321
samantha.henney@yukon.ca

News release #: 
22-145