Enforcement officers were posted at the Yukon’s borders and the Whitehorse airport on Monday morning, as a measure for tracking and educating travellers in the fight against COVID-19.

“What we’ve done is provide a mechanism to reinforce the awareness of the responsibility that we all have to adhere to the directions of the chief medical officer of health,” Diarmuid O’Donovan, the Yukon’s civil emergency planning officer, told a media briefing Monday afternoon. He was joined by John Streicker, the minister of Community Services.

“These instructions being passed to travellers into the Yukon will help them achieve the realization of those responsibilities,” O’Donovan said.

This new measure was instilled under the Civil Emergency Measures Act (CEMA), established last week, giving new enforcement powers to the Yukon government.

Enforcement officers are now stationed at the weigh scales on the Alaska Highway, south of Watson Lake, and at the junction of the Alaska Highway and the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, as well as at the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport.

Canada Border Services agents will be working alongside the CEMA enforcement team at the B.C. border crossings at Fraser, Pleasant Camp and Beaver Creek. NWT officials are helping to oversee the Yukon-N.W.T. border on the Dempster Highway.

Travellers crossing the border will be required to provide their contact information, details of their 14-day self-isolation plans and declaration of any COVID-19 symptoms.

Travellers who are passing through the Yukon on their way home to another province or Alaska are required to complete their passage within 24 hours.

They will be instructed to avoid unnecessary contact with others while stopping for food and fuel, and declare any stops they plan on making.

CEMA officers will use the declarations gathered to follow up with travellers and ensure they’re adhering to the 14 days of required self-isolation.

Border crossings will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

CEMA officers have been enlisted from the Yukon’s pool of peace officers.

Conservation officers and natural resource officers have been deployed at the Watson Lake crossing, and have received the necessary training to fulfill these duties.

The Whitehorse airport is being staffed by other government officials to meet incoming flights.

There will be no enforcement officers at the border north of Atlin, as those living in Atlin are being treated as Yukon residents under CEMA.

Streicker said that the border patrol stations are the first measure, and more enforcement measures will follow.

“There is, of course, more work to do,” Streicker said.

“The first thing that will happen is that we’re co-ordinating centrally … running a database to check off on both ends, when people enter in the territory and leave the territory.”

Streicker said updates will be provided as more protocols are put in place for enforcement of Hanley’s recommendations.

With Easter weekend approaching, Streicker requested that Yukoners do not travel to the communities for outdoor activities.

He said local powers and chiefs have communicated concern about the risk tourists pose to their communities.

“We know spring is calling, but right now we have to keep our community safe,” Streicker said.

“The mountains aren’t going anywhere soon.”

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