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.

The Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act (2022) was passed by the Legislative Assembly and received assent on March 31, 2022.

The amendments to the Act will help improve outcomes for children, youth and families who are involved with the child welfare system and address the over-representation of Indigenous children and youth in care. The amended Act will also help ensure that the culture, community and families of children and youth in care are preserved while enhancing supports for caregivers, including extended family members.  

Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kancir has issued the following statement:

“With the long weekend approaching and increased COVID-19 risk across the Yukon, it’s as important as ever to consider your COVID-19 risk before attending a dinner party, cultural or faith-based gathering or other Easter or spring event.

“Use your COVID-19 sense to assess your risk before gatherings so that you can help protect yourself and others.

This is a joint news release between CYFN and the Yukon government.

The Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) has made a donation of rapid molecular tests to the Yukon government for use at Yukon community health centres.

CYFN is donating 3,912 rapid molecular tests to the Yukon government for allocation to community health centres in the Yukon.

The Commissioner of Yukon would like to update Yukoners with details on her Literary Program.

Borealis Prize

This prize recognizes excellence in contributions by the writers, publishers, editors and literary community builders of the Yukon. For this third year, the Commissioner of Yukon has worked with BC and Yukon Book Prizes to increase the prize money to $2,000 and the winner of the 2022 Borealis Prize will be invited to do a paid event (travel included) at the 2022 Dawson Daily News Print and Publishing Festival in June.

Results from the Yukon government’s April 1 Yukon Snow Survey Bulletin and Water Supply Forecast show that snowpack throughout the Yukon is well above average.

Eight of eleven monitored basins have the highest basin snowpack estimates ever recorded, while the remaining three basins have well above average snowpack.

Record setting snowpack in many watersheds in the territory increases the potential for flooding during river ice breakup and spring snowmelt.

Today, federal Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, joined by the Premier of Yukon Sandy Silver, Minister responsible for the Yukon Development Corporation and the Yukon Energy Corporation John Streicker and Member of Parliament for the Yukon Brendan Hanley, announced a $32.2 million investment to Tlingit Homeland Energy Limited Partnership for the Atlin Hydro Expansion Project.

The Yukon government has committed $50 million over the next five years towards the Atlin Hydro Expansion project, including $15 million for the project this year.

This is a joint news release with the Yukon Soaps Company

Today, the owner and operator of the Yukon Soaps Company, Joella Hogan, held a grand opening of the company’s new building in Mayo. The Minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corporation Ranj Pillai attended the celebration in downtown Mayo near the Stewart River. 

Premier Sandy Silver has issued the following statement:

“We would like to congratulate the Government of Canada on the tabling of its 2022 budget.

“We are pleased to see the federal government recognize the unique challenges facing the North in 2022 and the actions they are taking to address many of these concerns.

“We are also pleased to see support for initiatives that remain a priority to Yukoners and to the Yukon government.

On April 5, 2022, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) provided recommendations on the use of second COVID-19 boosters for people at high-risk for severe illness due to COVID-19.  

In support of these recommendations, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health has recommended second boosters to Yukoners who are 70 years of age or older, seniors living in long-term care or other senior congregate living settings and immunocompromised Yukoners.

To be eligible for a second COVID-19 booster dose, six months must have passed since your first booster.