Yukon reports one COVID-19 death, eight new cases and issues two public exposure notices

Yukon's acting chief medical officer of health is reporting one new COVID-19 death Wednesday along with eight new cases, while issuing two public exposure notices in the territory's capital.

In a statement, Dr. Catherine Elliott said the death occurred Wednesday at the Whitehorse General Hospital.

It's the ninth reported death from COVID-19 in the Yukon since the start of the pandemic.

"None of the people who have died in the Yukon were fully vaccinated," read the statement issued Wednesday.

In the statement, the territorial government said there have been eight new COVID-19 cases since Friday in the territory, including one at Porter Creek Secondary School. It is one of two new cases in Whitehorse.

There is one new case in rural Yukon and five of the new cases are of people who were diagnosed in the Yukon but live outside the territory.

The overall number of active COVID-19 cases now stands at 20 in the Yukon, two less than were reported last Friday.

Public exposure notices

The territorial government issued a public exposure notice for passengers on bus number 6 of Whitehorse Transit, southbound from Porter Creek to Granger, between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sept. 2.

Those passengers are asked to self-monitor for symptoms until Sept. 16.

A second public exposure notice was issued for the running track at Whitehorse's Canada Games Centre on Aug. 30 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

People who were at the track at that date and time are being asked to self-monitor for symptoms until Sept. 13.

School case

In a separate release Wednesday, Elliott said she has provided direction to students in four 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 until Sept. 17 while students who are either partially or not vaccinated should self-isolate until Sept. 13 and then monitor for symptoms until Sept. 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.

Elliott also 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 anyone 12 and older in the Yukon, and for children born in 2009 who haven't turned 12 yet.