WHITEHORSE -- Yukon will be rescinding most of its COVID-19 public health measures Friday on the advice of medical professionals, said Premier Sandy Silver.
The territory will lift its state of emergency, imposed in November when rising COVID-19 cases threatened to swamp the Yukon's health facilities.
Silver said during a news conference on Wednesday that the drop in the number of infections allows them to make the changes.
“I know it has not been easy and it has taken a toll on each and every single one of us,” he said.
He said residents who followed COVID-19 guidelines helped Yukon avoid the worst of the pandemic.
The territory previously announced it would lift mandates for mask-wearing in indoor public spaces and proof of vaccination by Friday.
However, students and staff in schools and early learning child-care centres will still be required to wear masks.
Silver said the state of emergency could be reinstated if there is a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases again.
He acknowledged that those who are immunocompromised may be concerned by the government's decision to lift the majority of COVID-19 health restrictions on Friday.
“We're guided by science and our medical professionals,” he said. “Even though we're moving out of a state of emergency, lifting requirements, lifting public health measures, it doesn't mean we've turned a blind eye at all.”
Interim chief medical officer of health Dr. Catherine Elliott said residents need to be patient and understanding as some people may feel more comfortable to continue wearing masks in public.
“With the lifting of measures, it can cause uncertainty for many people,” she said. “It's time to make this change, but people will go at their own pace.”
She reported 47 active cases of COVID-19 in the territory with eight new infections on Wednesday.
Elliott said she would encourage Yukon residents to continue wearing masks in areas where there are large groupings of people.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2022.
