November 10, 2020: COVID-19 update

Please note that this news release has been updated to provide more clarity about travellers’ isolation period and sharing space within a household.

The Government of Yukon 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, November 10, at 9 a.m., the COVID-19 case count for Yukon is 23. Twenty-one people have recovered and there is currently one active case.

COVID-19 Testing and Assessment Centre

From Monday November 2, to Sunday, November 8, we tested 89 people at the COVID-19 Testing and Assessment Centre in Whitehorse. To date, we have tested 4,197 people. The centre will be open on Wednesday, November 11.

Updates to school guidelines  

The school health and safety guidelines for Grades K to 12 have been updated to reduce the requirement for two-metre distancing between students in the classroom and to make masks mandatory in common areas outside of the classroom. This is intended to provide clarity for all schools.  

New travel guidance for southern BC

British Columbia's Provincial Health Officer announced new orders this weekend. Yukoners travelling to or from BC will need to follow COVID-19 guidelines and abide by the order while they're in BC.

The Government of Yukon is monitoring BC developments and will adjust its guidelines and advice as needed based on the recommendations of Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Holiday travel planning

Yukoners who are hosting family this holiday season will need to prepare to self-isolate if they have visitors from outside BC, the NWT or Nunavut. Travellers not from the NWT, Nunavut and BC need to self-isolate with their household for two weeks after arriving in Yukon. If travellers share a space with other household members who will not be self-isolating, they must stay away from each other (two metres or six feet apart) as much as possible. Use a separate bathroom if you can, and avoid sharing household items.

New Civil Emergency Measures Act charges

One charge was laid on November 5 for failure to transit through Yukon.

Enforcement statistics

The Government of Yukon has received 990 complaints as of November 9, 2020:

• Failure to self-isolate: 565
• Gatherings over 10 inside or 50 outside: 26
• Failure to transit through Yukon in 24 hours or stay on the designated route: 374
• Businesses failing to comply with orders: 10
• Failure to abide by a declaration form or not permitted entry into Yukon: 15

There have been a total of 18 people charged, and 23 charges laid under the Civil Emergency Measures Act (CEMA).

A total of 59,826 travellers have come into Yukon:

• Resident travellers: 14,937
• BC residents: 13,887
• NWT residents: 443
• Other approved jurisdictions: 245
• Non-residents staying: 9,961
• Non-residents transiting: 20,268
• Other: 95
• Decals distributed indicating out-of-territory vehicles allowed in Yukon: 338