New cases were announced yesterday afternoon.
As the Yukon deals with the most active cases of COVID-19 in the territory in weeks, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Brendan Hanley shined some light on the situation at this morning’s weekly update.
Over the weekend, an outbreak was declared at the Victoria Gold Mine site and just yesterday afternoon one new confirmed and two new probable cases in Whitehorse were announced. This morning, Dr. Hanley revealed that there are a total of 8 active cases.
Dr. Hanley says there are three people in hospital and none of them are vaccinated. He also says that two of the people infected at the mine are partially vaccinated and one is fully vaccinated.
He says vaccination is still the best way to fight the virus.
“If you’re wearing a flame proof suit, does that mean you can walk into the fire? Not something most experts would advise. When someone is very infectious, and if perhaps the setting is indoors, close, and not well ventilated, then infection will occur more easily. But still, for COVID-19 and most of the variants we know so far, your chances for infection are vastly reduced, and even when infection occurs, your chances of getting sever disease, or passing it on to others is considerably lower.” Says Dr. Hanley.
Hanley says that the origins of the infections are still unknown and he is not sure if the cases at the mine and the ones in Whitehorse are linked. The communicable disease team is looking into it.
Dr. Hanley says as the territory moves forward, more cases can be expected.
The goal now is to get second dose vaccine uptake to 75 percent, then more restrictions can be eased. Starting on June 18, unvaccinated children traveling with people who are fully vaccinated won’t have to isolate when the enter they Yukon.
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