Yukon had 1,154 non-residents travel through territory in past 2 weeks
Non-resident travellers have 24 hours to pass through Yukon
More than 1,000 non-residents have travelled through Yukon since a travel restriction was put into place on April 17, according to a spokesperson for Yukon's emergency co-ordination centre.
Yukon's Community Services Minister John Streicker issued an order on April 17 limiting travel into the territory in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the time being only residents, and non-residents who are going to stay with family, who are essential workers, who are taking part in traditional activities or who are travelling to Alaska or the Northwest Territories, are permitted.
As of Apr. 30, 16 people have been denied entry into Yukon under that order, and 1,154 non-residents who are travelling to Alaska or the Northwest Territories have been allowed to enter.
Unclear how Yukon confirms non-resident travellers leave
When travellers arrive in Yukon, they fill out a declaration form with their travel plans. They must list their route, what businesses they plan to visit and when and where they will exit the Yukon.
"All travel declarations are maintained in an enforcement database allowing our enforcement officers to confirm whether any given travellers [are in] contravention to one of the travel restrictions," said Keely Bass, acting information officer at Yukon's emergency co-ordination centre.
"Anyone travelling outside of the predetermined route or staying in the territory longer than that 24 hours is subject to enforcement action," she said.
It is unclear how Yukon confirms non-residents follow the route they declare in the travel plan and how it confirms those non-residents leave the territory within the 24-hour window.
Bass says there are no checkstops for people leaving the territory.
In an email to CBC News, Bass said "enforcement officers are monitoring out-of-country licence plates and following up to identify any non-compliant travellers."
She says so far enforcement officers have not found any violations involving people travelling through Yukon.
"There are other investigative practices that we use to confirm compliance but disclosing those practices may compromise ongoing efforts so unfortunately I can't speak to those," said Bass.
Traveller information not shared with U.S.
Bass says the Yukon government is not sharing information from the declaration forms with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
She says that would happen at the federal level.
When CBC News asked Mark Stuart, a spokesperson for Canadian Border Services Agency, if information from Yukon's declaration forms is being shared with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, he referred the question back to Yukon. He said to contact the Yukon government because the forms are being administered by them.
It is unclear if there is any coordination between Yukon and the Northwest Territories governments to confirm travellers have exited Yukon and into the Northwest Territories.
In an email, Bass said the Yukon was coordinating with the Northwest Territories government to share information regarding the number of cross-border travellers.