Revised - Tuesday marked the first day that masks became mandatory in the Yukon, but enforcement will be a last resort.

There were no new cases announced during that morning’s weekly COVID-19 briefing by Dr. Brendan Hanley, the chief medical officer of health.

Yukon case counts are at 47, with the addition of one new case confirmed Monday.

Seventeen of those cases are active. Two patients are hospitalized, but their conditions were not released.

As of Tuesday, 5,336 people had been tested for the virus. Between Nov. 23 and last Sunday, 632 people were tested at the stationary and drive-thru testing locations in Whitehorse.

Cases have doubled in the last three weeks, Hanley said, which is not surprising.

There is no definite sign of community transmission as yet, but medical officials are still closely monitoring that situation.

“We have outbreaks going on with a sharp increase in numbers,” Hanley said.

Many of the recent cases have been traced to known or suspected sources. Many of them, Hanley said, involve work-place exposure.

He reiterated that’s why it’s crucial to closely follow the Safe Six protocols, follow the mask regulations, and to keep strictly to social bubbles.

Hanley also made a plea to employers to allow as many workers as possible and feasible to work from their residences to mitigate exposure.

“Please work from home where possible,” he said.

Hanley also stressed that if anyone has any symptoms, even something as mild as a runny nose, to stay home and not risk spreading the virus.

“People should not be compelled to work when they are sick,” he said.

As far as the mandatory mask regulations go, Hanley and Premier Sandy Silver acknowledged there will be a learning curve, and it will take some time for masking to become habit for the public.

“The evidence grows more compelling by the week that masks offer one more layer of protection,” Dr. Hanley said, while not making any specific reference to studies. “Masks are an additional protection, not a substitute.”

Three-layer non-medical masks are ideal, but two-layer masks are fine, he said.

Hanley said he was impressed at how well the public was already doing with adopting masks even without the mandatory order.

During a walk downtown on Monday, he noted almost everyone was wearing them.

The masks are to be worn in every indoor public common area.

That includes stores, restaurants and other businesses, and less obvious locations such as public washrooms, stairways, lobbies and elevators – anywhere you could encounter another person in an area accessible to the public at large.

Workplace employees who do not serve the general public do not fall under the masking policy.

Masks are not mandatory for walking along sidewalks, though many pedestrians are wearing them outdoors regardless.

According to a list the government released Tuesday, the public spaces where masks apply include retail businesses, shopping centres, coffee shops, grocery stores, service businesss, airport; personal care services, restaurants, bars and anywhere food and drink are served, health care providers’ offices, places of worship, recreational areas, fitness centres, dance or yoga studios, arenas, movie theatres, art centres, concert halls, libraries, conference and community centres, common areas of office buildings, courthouses, hospitals, daycares, hotels, common areas of Yukon University and non-profit organizations; and on public transportation, in a taxi, shuttle or ride-sharing vehicle.

When in an indoor space, masks may be temporarily removed if you are consuming food or beverages, participating in a sport or fitness activity or receiving personal care or health services that require the mask to be removed.

Schools are not considered a public place; however, school staff and students age 10 and older are required to wear a non-medical mask on the school bus and in school commons areas.

On Tuesday afternoon, Community Services Minister John Streicker told the legislature 200,000 masks will be made available to the public.

There are mask exemptions for people with medical conditions, such as breathing problems.

Mental health issues, such as claustrophobia, that could make wearing a mask uncomfortable or unbearable, are also on the list of exemptions.

Students 10 years old and older are expected to wear masks in common areas as well.

For the time being, the emphasis will be placed on education and encouraging people to wear masks, Hanley said.

Enforcement provisions are available for use under the Civil Emergency Measures Act (CEMA), including a $500 fine for failing to don one, refusing to leave a public space where masks are required, or engaging in abusive or belligerent behavior. Fines will be a last resort, however.

“We’re not running after everyone on the first day,” Hanley said.

“Give us a chance to adjust. There is some habit-forming to happen.”

Both he and Silver acknowledged obligatory masking will likely breed some resistance and opposition, but they are hopeful most people will comply.

“We were falling into complacency,” Hanley said. “We’re not going into a shutdown phase, as we did eight months ago, but there is no further room for diminishing the threat.

“We are continually striving for the best balance, but we want to contain COVID to prevent community transmission. For the next few weeks, we really need to hunker down.”

The good news is that both Santa Claus and everyone’s Elf on the Shelf have been officially granted essential worker status so they can go about their jobs, Hanley and Silver said.

That will make many people happy, with Christmas 23 days away.

As of Monday, the government had received 1,079 COVID-related complaints:

• failure to self-isolate: 630;

• gatherings over 10 inside or 50 outside: 28;

• failure to transit through the Yukon in 24 hours or stay on the designated route: 392;

• businesses failing to comply with orders: 11; and

• failure to abide by a declaration form or not permitted entry into the Yukon: 18

There have been a total of 26 people charged, and 21 people charged under the CEMA.

A total of 64,061 travellers have come into Yukon since the pandemic began:

• resident travellers: 16,910;

• B.C. residents: 15,195;

• N.W.T. residents: 486;

• other approved jurisdictions: 303;

• non-residents staying: 10,391;

• non-residents transiting: 20,677; and

• other: 99.

There have been 348 decals distributed indicating out-of-territory vehicles permitted to be in the Yukon.