More public health measures to be eased in the Yukon

The Government of Yukon is continuing to ease public health measures.

Effective March 4, 2022, only the following public health measures will remain in place in the territory:

  • mandatory masking in all indoor public places, including schools, and outdoor public settings when physical distancing cannot be maintained;
  • the vaccination requirement for Yukon government full-time, part-time and casual employees, Yukon government volunteers and consultants and contractors hired by the Yukon government; and
  • The requirement to show proof of vaccination to access designated settings for people who are 19 years of age or older.

As of March 4, all other public health measures in the current Health Protection Order will be eliminated, including gathering size limits on personal and organized gatherings, limits on venue capacity and limits on bars and restaurants.

Yukoners are strongly encouraged to continue practising the Safe 6 plus 1 at all times.

Vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19. All eligible Yukoners are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated and receive a booster shot as soon as possible. Appointments can be booked online at Yukon.ca/this-is-our-shot. Booking an appointment is strongly recommended. Walk-ins will be accommodated when possible.

Additional information has been added to Yukon.ca to help Yukoners understand their individual COVID-19 risk to help inform their personal health decisions. The Government of Yukon also has a new COVID-19 dashboard that provides Yukoners with important data on vaccination rates, case counts, testing and hospitalizations, with the addition of interactive graphs, maps and detailed summaries of data over time.

In Whitehorse, at-home rapid tests are available at the Visitor Information Centre on Lambert Street from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, and at the Centennial Motors drive-thru from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., seven days a week.

For people in communities outside of Whitehorse, at-home rapid tests can be obtained through the government's partners, including Yukon First Nations governments and municipalities, and lab-based PCR testing is available through health care providers or community health centres.

The Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health will continue to actively assess the risk levels in the territory associated with COVID-19 transmission and adjust recommendations as necessary.

As we move past the Omicron wave, we are in a position to continue easing public health measures so Yukoners can return to more normal conditions. We would not be in this position without the efforts of Yukoners, businesses and organizations that have diligently followed public health measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. I especially want thank Yukoners who have protected themselves and their fellow Yukoners by getting vaccinated. As we cautiously move forward, we must all remain diligent in practising the Safe 6, masking up and getting vaccinated.

Premier Sandy Silver

There are certain things that we all need to do, such as follow the legally required public health measures. There are further precautions that some will take due to their own personal circumstances such as continuing to limit their contacts, choosing to mask even when it’s not required, or asking for vaccination status before joining a personal gathering. I encourage everyone to be respectful of and support one another’s decisions as we all adjust to living with COVID-19. I am so pleased that Yukoners will soon have more opportunities to connect with one another through gatherings and activities.  

acting Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Catherine Elliott

Media contact 

Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca

 

Carleen Kerr
Communications, Health and Social Services
867-667-3673
carleen.kerr@yukon.ca

News release #: 
22-066