Photo by Whitehorse Star
Dr. Brendan Hanley
COVID-19 claims another Yukoner’s life
The COVID-19 outbreak has claimed the life of a fourth Yukoner.
The COVID-19 outbreak has claimed the life of a fourth Yukoner.
The Yukon’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Brendan Hanley, announced the death late Wednesday afternoon.
His office does not provide details about deaths from the virus.
“COVID-19 is hitting unvaccinated Yukoners hard,” Hanley said.
“We expect the trend of daily cases to continue for a few weeks, and we may see additional clusters and smaller outbreaks.
“Given the heartbreaking news (Wednesday) of yet another death, it is more important than ever that people stay home if ill, get tested if they have symptoms and get vaccinated.”
There are four new confirmed cases of COVID-19, Hanley said, and the active case count is 103.
Since June 4, all of the variant testing results received to date are positive for the Gamma (P.1) variant.
As of mid-day Thursday, the Yukon’s total case count was 224.
Three of the new cases are in Whitehorse, while one is in a rural community.
Investigation and contact tracing are under way.
Hanley added that “several individuals previously reported as recovered have been reclassified as active cases due to persisting symptoms.
“COVID-19 is being widely transmitted throughout Yukon, primarily affecting unvaccinated people, and is now present in most Yukon communities. Eleven of 14 communities are home to COVID-19-positive people.”
Hanley said “testing for COVID-19 infection is more important than ever. People who are vaccinated may also rarely acquire COVID-19 and should seek testing if symptoms develop.”
Most of the people with COVID-19 infections are unvaccinated.
However, 12 people with full vaccinations have also been confirmed with the virus.
Meanwhile, Hanley’s office is reviewing its longstanding policy of declining to identify Yukon communities hit by the virus.
In recent weeks, several mayors and First Nations chiefs have made social media statements freely alerting Yukoners to COVID’s presence in their communities.
Add your comments or reply via Twitter @whitehorsestar
In order to encourage thoughtful and responsible discussion, website comments will not be visible until a moderator approves them. Please add comments judiciously and refrain from maligning any individual or institution. Read about our user comment and privacy policies.
Your name and email address are required before your comment is posted. Otherwise, your comment will not be posted.
Comments (9)
Up 7 Down 6
John on Jun 29, 2021 at 4:30 pm
@ answers... are you talking about long term effects of COVID or trial vaccine.? I can tell you I much prefer my kids fight off this flu than take a chance on unknown long term effects of an untested vaccine. I’m also curious where you were told all deaths were unvaccinated ? And your logic that cancer and other illnesses don’t clog up our medical system indicates you don’t understand preventative health. This scamdemic lockdown will result in thousands of undiagnosed preventable illnesses, mental health issues for many years.
Up 13 Down 13
Answers on Jun 26, 2021 at 4:14 pm
@Scratches Head
"But when there is a death, we don't get the information of whether the person was or wasn't vaccinated?" - We do get the information. They've told us that all the deaths were unvaccinated.
"Why do EpiPens and chemo therapy and other medication for fatal diseases not come with free medication and incentives to get it?" - Because Cancer and anaphalactic shock are not diseases that can be spread from person to person and eventually overwhelm our healthcare system. If you don't get your medication, you only pose a danger to yourself. With covid, you could possibly infect people, especially our kids under 12 who aren't able to get the vaccine yet. And while they aren't hit as hard as older people, we have no idea about the long term effects it might have (see polio). There is already evidence of lingering health effects damaging people's lungs and hearts long after they have recovered. I'd rather my kids not have it at all.
Up 56 Down 40
Bandit on Jun 24, 2021 at 11:34 pm
Here come the Thumbs down.
Hanley and crew please quit the "Died from Covid19 BS" How about out of respect for the families "The person had underlying conditions complicated by Covid19 and succumbed to an illness that was going to take them anyways, a respiratory illness just sped up the process. Or that doesn't top-up the Covid19 funding? And I sincerely mean out of respect for the families.
Up 28 Down 40
bonanzajoe on Jun 24, 2021 at 8:35 pm
I think I know why the doc doesn't want to reveal the communities that are affected. He doesn't want anybody travelling outside Whitehorse. Keep the people scared so they will stay home. Screwing up another lovely summer.
Up 22 Down 25
Hurst on Jun 24, 2021 at 6:55 pm
U18 weren’t eligible for vaccine as trials weren’t complete. Now they are. Now U18 are getting vaccinated.
Prior to that we were at mid 70% in terms of adults with their first shot. So the window is closing on the unvaccinated. Now we are up over 72% with the second shot. U18 vaccinations are happening quickly, some coming up on their second shot even. Soon the only unvaccinated will be those with a medical exemption and of course the people like you.
A fully vaccinated person can still get infected but they won’t be as sick as an unvaccinated person. They have less chance of spreading the virus as well. If everyone possible gets the vaccine THEN we shut it down.
All these details, and more are fully available on Yukon.ca
Up 53 Down 9
TMYK on Jun 24, 2021 at 6:33 pm
Dying with Covid and dying because of Covid are two very different things.
Up 67 Down 38
Max Mack on Jun 24, 2021 at 3:58 pm
What Hanley and Silver and clones aren't telling you is that the vast majority of positive SARS-COV-2 tests are among youth. You know, those kids that weren't eligible to be vaccinated (at least not till the recent change re: Pfizer). You know, those kids that are barely affected by COVID anyway.
Strange journalists don't appear too interested in asking for these details.
Up 79 Down 10
Jon Randall on Jun 24, 2021 at 3:22 pm
i don't understand why Hanley's office does not identify which communities have active cases , he identifies Whitehorse .
Up 60 Down 16
*scratches head* on Jun 24, 2021 at 2:33 pm
Why when a person is unvaccinated we get the report, "The majority of the people were unvaccinated?"
But when there is a death, we don't get the information of whether the person was or wasn't vaccinated?
Why do EpiPens and chemo therapy and other medication for fatal diseases not come with free medication and incentives to get it?
Why are the ages for "Youth vaccinations" tied around ages of consent? What difference does a birthday make?