Yukon officials were quick this morning to pour some cold water on the notion that the COVID-19 virus is functionally eradicated in the territory.

It’s been a week since a case was discovered in the territory, and there are currently no active cases.

Still, both Dr. Brendan Hanley and Premier Sandy Silver downplayed the idea the virus has been extirpated, even for the moment.

“It would be premature to say that,” Hanley told the weekly COVID-19 media briefing. “I would never go that far.”

He said he “would not be surprised there are cases in the Yukon that have not been recognized.”

While he’s not particularly concerned with individual cases as part of the overall perspective, Hanley said, his concern is to watch for signs of community and forward transmission.

For the moment, though, there is “no further evidence of community transmission.

“But it’s just waiting for an opportunity to spread.”

Hanley said he doubts the virus will ever be truly eradicated. It’s more likely to become an endemic disease, similar to the seasonal bouts of influenza that occur every year.

It’s not inconceivable, though, the virus could vanish as suddenly as it appeared.

Hanley said there’s a chance COVID-19 could turn out to be a disease like the SARS virus of the early 2000s, which wreaked havoc and then mysteriously disappeared, although he doubts that would be the case.

He didn’t offer any idea of what kind of numbers or situation would enable him to say say the virus was functionally eradicated in the Yukon.

Both he and Silver stressed that while the recent outbreak that saw cases erupt from 15 to 59 over the course of the last six weeks or so may be over, the public still needs to adhere strictly to practising the Safe Six standards and continue to mask up in public.

That’s particularly true over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period, they said.

Silver said government and medical officials will be watching carefully for signs that travel and visiting will spark another outbreak.

“The reality of this being a very different Christmas is coming home for many people,” Hanley said. “It will be difficult for many people this year.”

“It can spread incredibly quickly,” Silver added. “We can’t let our defences down.”

That’s especially true, he said, because the public might be looking at the numbers and the promise the first vaccines will be made available in January, and come to the erroneous conclusion that everything is fine.

Last week, Yukon government officials participated in a dry run for the delivery of the Moderna vaccine, Silver added.

No announcement of that was made at the time.

Other sites around Canada, including Yellowknife, also took part in the exercise, which went very well, Silver said.

Once the vaccines start rolling, the territory is looking at some kind of documentation people who have been vaccinated can carry.

The government is taking a cautious approach to that idea, Hanley said, since it can see how such “immunity passports” could be abused.

The Moderna vaccine has yet to be approved by Health Canada, Silver said, but could be available as soon as 48 hours after the decision is made.