Photo by Whitehorse Star
Dr. Brendan Hanley
Four new COVID cases emerge as needles begin
After a two-week hiatus, COVID-19 cases have sprung up again in the Yukon, as the vaccine program began today.
After a two-week hiatus, COVID-19 cases have sprung up again in the Yukon, as the vaccine program began today.
Over the New Year’s weekend, Dr. Brendan Hanley, the Yukon’s chief medical officer of health, announced that four new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, bringing the territory’s total to 64 cases.
There are currently four active cases in the Yukon. All of those cases were discovered amongst the close contacts of an out-of-territory traveller.
All of the cases are recovering at home, and no further information has been provided as yet.
However, the cases have resulted in exposure notices being announced by territorial officials.
“People may have been exposed to COVID-19 infection on Tuesday, December 22, 2020 on Air North 2517 Vancouver to Whitehorse, 12:15 p.m. (PST) to 4:50 p.m. (MST) and Sunday, December 27, 2020 at the Canada Games Centre, Whitehorse, in the Wellness Room, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.,” the official announcement said.
Health officials reiterated that anyone experiencing any COVID-19-like symptoms should self-isolate and remain at home, take the self-assessment online and arrange to get tested.
All of the cases are in Whitehorse, said spokesperson Pat Living.
She said preliminary investigations indicate all parties were following COVID-19 safety protocols.
Meanwhile, the first COVID-19 vaccinations in the Yukon are being given out today in undisclosed locations.
Only minimal information was available from the government this morning and early this afternoon.
Matthew Cameron, a cabinet spokesperson, said the government is following its previously-announced distribution plan that prioritized people in long-term care homes and front-line health care workers.
A news conference was scheduled for 1:30 this afternoon to allow the media to interview some of the first vaccine recipients.
The government received 7,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine last Tuesday. More deliveries were expected, although the dates have not been announced.
Premier Sandy Silver had previously stated the Yukon would receive enough of the vaccine to inoculate 75 per cent of the adult population by the first quarter of 2021.
The vaccine was to be delivered in one mass shipment, rather than in “dribs and drabs,” he said.
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Comments (21)
Up 27 Down 6
Groucho d'North on Jan 7, 2021 at 8:37 am
"Only minimal information was available from the government this morning and early this afternoon." This is not news, it's business as usual.
Up 7 Down 4
paul on Jan 6, 2021 at 4:03 pm
Anyone else get a request from the Gov for a blood test for covid ? Freaking me out.
Up 22 Down 10
joe on Jan 6, 2021 at 3:04 pm
@DMZ said "If they say we have to wear masks, if the numbers go up, it's because "some" people aren't wearing masks. Even though when you look around, lots of people are wearing masks." WRONG - it's because the paper thin and/ or homemade el cheapo masks are ineffective and provide a false sense of security. Notice how the "mask wearers" go face to face and ignore the basic common sense distancing rules? It's psychological, wearing a mask makes you feel better for a bunch of reasons but unless it's a certified real deal, it's a false sense of security.
Up 18 Down 10
DMZ on Jan 6, 2021 at 12:05 pm
@Michelle, you're right, we can't imagine how many deaths there could have been without the restrictions. We can't do that, because we have no idea. We don't know which ones are working and we don't know why the cases are increasing in the provinces, even while restrictions keep being added. They tell us what they think is the reason, but they don't seem to be able to point at the data they're looking at.
If they say we have to wear masks, if the numbers go up, it's because "some" people aren't wearing masks. Even though when you look around, lots of people are wearing masks. If they say people shouldn't visit, and six people go to someone's home, that must be why the virus spread. How many people got infected due to some visit of a handful of people? Can they actually show that? Maybe they can, but I don't know. I think they've had time to be able to actually show some of that data. They should share it, and quit relying on a show of emotion.
It just seems that they pile on restrictions and we're supposed to take it on faith that when cases grow, it's because people aren't following the restrictions. It seems to be out of the question to, well, raise the question -- maybe restrictions don't work? Maybe only some of them help, but we don't know which, because there's so many now and apparently each and every one needs 100 percent compliance and we will always fail at that.
Then consider that, despite being bombarded daily with representatives of the medical profession expressing their panic with escalating intensity, there is no equivalent sense of urgency to the vaccine rollout.
Then add to that, that a key member of COVID19 committees, a doctor, went on a tropical vacation. Some of these doctors advocate for invoking legislation that gives them powers greater than politicians. I heard one doctor say yesterday that curfews don't have any effect on stopping the spread, but imposing them would send a "psychological message". What kind of medical advice is that?
So excuse me if I just can't take seriously the admonition to think about what would happen if we didn't follow restrictions. Nothing about being in a pandemic made these people right about everything. And I'd rather put authorities on the spot than some random person standing in line at the grocery store.
Up 29 Down 19
Michelle on Jan 6, 2021 at 11:02 am
North_of_60: Have you considered how many deaths there would have been so far if the world did not impose any lock downs, restrictions or required face masks? We have that many deaths with all these restrictions in place. I can not imagine how many deaths there could have been. I also wonder how many less deaths there could have been if everyone would have just listened and followed the rules and recommendations to curb the spread of this virus.
Up 5 Down 6
DL on Jan 6, 2021 at 1:55 am
Look up this covid vaccine instruction sheet from the CDC:
"Appropriate medical treatment used to manage immediate allergic reactions must be immediately available in the event an acute anaphylactic reaction occurs following administration of the vaccine"
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2020-12/slides-12-19/05-COVID-CLARK.pdf
Up 14 Down 6
Wilf Carter on Jan 5, 2021 at 8:33 pm
I have a question - who next able to get the vaccine?
Up 21 Down 16
North_of_60 on Jan 5, 2021 at 3:45 pm
CANADA'S TOTAL DEATHS PER 100,000 POPULATION REMAIN SIMILAR, EVEN WITH COVID-19
Amid dire projections of massive deaths from Covid-19, the latest Statitistics Canada data shows the opposite: total deaths per 100,000 people remains in line with historical trends. The data from 2017-2018 remains higher.
Looking at data from the past 5 years, the most recent 52-week period ending in mid-October shows 754 deaths from all causes per 100,000 people in Canada. There were 760 total deaths/100,000 in 2017-2018. (1)
Total deaths per 100,000 per 52-week period (ending mid-October) for the last 5 years:
Year total deaths / Q4 population = total deaths per 100k
2015-16: 263,075 / 36,258,726 = 726
2016-17: 275,370 / 36,721,242 = 750
2017-18: 283,170 / 37,249,240 = 760
2018-19: 281,635 / 37,802,043 = 745
2019-20: 286,430 / 38,008,005 = 754
With seniors aged 60 and older, esp. with pre-existing conditions, accounting for 96.5% of all deaths with/from Covid-19, the vulnerable group to protect is clear. (3) There have only been 485 deaths under the age of 60 and 144 deaths under 50.
With Covid-19 not being the killer virus that it was projected to be, will governments pay attention to the latest data and allow communities and businesses to reopen?
1)https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/cv.action?pid=1310081001
2)https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000901
3)https://health-infobase.canada.ca/src/data/covidLive/Epidemiological-summary-of-COVID-19-cases-in-Canada-Canada.ca.pdf
Up 32 Down 4
Gareth on Jan 5, 2021 at 1:44 pm
"The Wellness Room"
Too funny.
Up 43 Down 15
rod on Jan 5, 2021 at 12:30 pm
If they were from out of town and didn't quarantine can you please their names and tell us what kind of fines they were given? Ha ha ha .. ya right like that will ever happen! This whole covid stinks of really bad politics! I'll take my chances without the vaccine thank you very much! Id love to watch Sandy Silver and Dr. Hanley take the vaccine and have it viewed by Yukoners!
Up 74 Down 5
Christina on Jan 5, 2021 at 11:12 am
And just why were they at the wellness room at the CGC? Should they not have been isolating in the first place? I get the Air North contact but not CGC.
Up 39 Down 14
JC on Jan 5, 2021 at 10:28 am
In reference to the picture on the front page, why is the Mills family not wearing masks and practicing distancing.
Up 45 Down 21
Brent on Jan 5, 2021 at 6:26 am
I would like to state that the good Covid19 infection rate that the Yukon enjoys has very little to do with the measures taken by Dr. Hanley and company. I feel that it has been more to fortuitous circumstance owing to the lack of control at both the rubber tire and air ports of entry. These people had been seen running all over the place where they shouldn't have been and anyone of them could have been a major spreader. People should not not take credit for luck.
Up 84 Down 8
why were the infected people not quarantining? on Jan 5, 2021 at 12:24 am
Just like others, I am going to ask why an out of town traveller was not quarantining for 14 days...and why were the family members with whom this person lived not quarantining? Doesn't make sense that you can fly from Vanc to Whs, not quarantine for your 14 days, five days later go out and about and have yourself (or family members you are staying with) going to the CGC Wellness Center for 2.5 hours.
You know what pisses me off? I don't feel it's safe to go to the CGC anymore. Love to take youth there but it is not safe. People who are not following the health rules that the rest of us are following are messing it up for the rest of us. FOLLOW THE FRICKING 14 day QUARANTINE or don't travel. I'm an essential worker, don't get to work from home at all, and I would be using the CGC as part of my job but it is not safe, nor are patrons who go the facilities there respecting COVID protocol, as this is the second time CGC has had infectious people there. YTG, you owe Yukoners an explanation of how this group of 4 were following quarantine procedures when clearly they were not.
Up 29 Down 15
DL on Jan 4, 2021 at 9:48 pm
The Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Brendan Henley, said that he won’t conduct random covid tests in the Yukon because that might turn out some false positives. So, isn’t it likely that these ‘new’ cases are just people with the common cold, or no symptoms at all, who happen to get a false positive for the covid test?
The PCR test used for covid-19 is obviously NOT reliable. Medical experts all over have cautioned that any PCR amplification cycle over 30 will likely result in a false positive. How many amplification cycles for these PCR tests used in the Yukon? Does anyone know?
Two interesting articles, and there are many more to be found with an internet search:
https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/pandemic-over-former-pfizer-chief-science-officer-says-second-wave-faked-false-positive
https://www.globalresearch.ca/covid-19-rt-pcr-how-to-mislead-all-humanity-using-a-test-to-lock-down-society/5728483
Up 36 Down 34
DL on Jan 4, 2021 at 9:18 pm
Quoting: “… preliminary investigations indicate all (infected) parties were following COVID-19 safety protocols.” In other words, lockdowns and mask mandates don’t work, no surprise there. All countries and provinces that shut their borders and mandated masks still had this huge increase in ‘covid-19 cases’.
All of the Yukon’s 64 covid cases only had mild symptoms (if any symptoms at all) and recovered at home. The mild nature of this infection does NOT justify any border closure or mask mandate.
As for the death of one elderly person in Watson Lake which has been categorized by medical personnel as having died of covid-19 because he tested positive. However, this elderly person had several other pre-existing conditions and was closely monitored by medical personnel. This person died at home. These facts suggest that this person died of some of the other pre-existing conditions, not of covid. If this person was severely sick with covid, he would have had difficulty breathing for an extended period, so surely they would have admitted him to the Watson Lake hospital and administered oxygen.
It is widely reported across Canada and USA that death statistics for covid-19 include anyone who died with a positive covid test result, and not necessarily died of covid. Such categorization is misrepresentation. We are all terribly affected by restrictions that are based on exaggerated covid death statistics.
Listen you politicians, you don’t have any data that justifies covid restrictions, lift all these restrictions now.
Up 71 Down 9
Matthew on Jan 4, 2021 at 7:28 pm
"There are currently four active cases in the Yukon. All of those cases were discovered amongst the close contacts of an out-of-territory traveller"
Nice to see the 14 day quarantine working so well isn't it.. or didn't they actually quarantine? Too many questions yet none will get asked or answered by the media..
Up 39 Down 13
Kung Flu Fighting on Jan 4, 2021 at 7:21 pm
Happy New Fears everyone!
Up 52 Down 12
Scott on Jan 4, 2021 at 6:50 pm
Instead of discussing the nature of a highly experimental vaccine (a "vaccine" which doesn't grant immunity or necessarily reduce contagion, by the way) the media decides it's a better idea to relay the feelings of vaccine recipients, as if peoples' emotions should guide the public on health matters and substitute for informed consent. Madness.
Up 24 Down 7
Martin on Jan 4, 2021 at 3:58 pm
The out-of-territory traveler must have been a "mayor" influence in the contagious. We must be "warned" against this cluster.
Up 43 Down 32
Matthew on Jan 4, 2021 at 3:44 pm
"Meanwhile, the first COVID-19 vaccinations in the Yukon are being given out today in undisclosed locations"
Oh... that's odd, why aren't the locations given to us? You want know when, where and who we eat with when we dine out.
"A news conference was scheduled for 1:30 this afternoon to allow the media to interview some of the first vaccine recipients."
Ahh.. how about interviewing some people who will NOT be getting DNA altering "vaccines". There are always 2 sides to the story. Why is the media so bias? It's going to be very interesting to see how many people died of the flu this year. Will it be a record low number? ha! Again, 0.0004% of Canadians have died from Covid, out of the 15,000 +80% were old people with several underlying conditions which they already had a weak immune system. Just wait until they send the Covid Police to your house to get tested.. remember WHO have already claimed they want to take your kids, your siblings, your parents out of your home and send them to a field hospital to "get better" if they test positive.