Yukon’ acting chief medical officer of health is reporting one new COVID-19 death Wednesday along with 8 new cases, as well as issuing two public exposure notices in the region’s capital.
In a statement, Dr. Catherine Elliot said the death happened Wednesday at the Whitehorse General Hospital.
It’s the 9th death from COVID-19 in the Yukon since the beginning of the pandemic.
“None of the people who have died in the Yukon were fully vaccinated,” read the statement released Wednesday.
In the statement, the territorial government said there have been 8 new COVID-19 cases since Friday in the region, including one at Porter Creek Secondary School. It is one of the two new cases in Whitehorse.
There is 1 new case in rural Yukon and 5 of the new cases are of persons who were diagnosed in the Yukon but live outside the territory.
The total number of active COVID-19 cases in the province is now 20, two less than were reported last Friday.
Public exposure notices
The territorial government released a public exposure notice for passengers on bus number 6 of Whitehorse Transit, southbound from Porter Creek to Grainger, between 3 p.m. and 4p.m. on September 2.
Those passengers are asked to self-monitor for symptoms till September 16.
A second public exposure notice was issued for the running track at Whitehorse’s Canada Games Center on August 30 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Individuals who were at the track at that day and time are being ordered to self-monitor for symptoms till September 13.
School case
In a separate release Wednesday, Elliot said she has offered direction to students in 4 separate Grade 9 and 10 classes at Porter Creek Secondary School:
- Period 1 – New Media/Literary Studies 10 in room 101
- Period 2 – Science 10 in room 141
- Period 3 – Math 9 in room 149
- Period 4 – Physical Education 10 in gym E
Students in those classes who are fully vaccinated and not immunocompromised need to monitor for symptoms till September 17 whereas students who are either partially or not vaccinated should self-isolate till September 13 and then monitor for symptoms till September 17.
“We have been expecting to see cases within the schools this fall and we have built our responses accordingly,” said Elliott in the statement.
She added that family members of the affected classes were notified of the case Tuesday evening.
Elliot additionally said in the statement that Yukon Communicable Disease Control “is contacting anyone directly who may be a close contact of the identified case and is providing one to one direction on who needs to self isolate or self monitor.”
“I can’t stress enough how the risks of spread are higher for anyone who is not vaccinated,” she said.
The statement said vaccines are available for any person 12 and older in the region, and for kids born in 2009 who haven’t turned 12 yet.
