The Yukon’s highway borders began transitioning away from 24/7 surveillance today, as fewer people are expected to travel by road into the territory in the winter months.

The borders at the Alaska Highway and Junction 37 will be patrolled by officers from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Travellers arriving outside of those hours will have to sign a declaration and submit their self-isolation plan at an on-site kiosk.

“There will be signs in place to inform travellers of this requirement and kiosks in place for visitors to put their declarations into,” Community Services Minister John Streicker said Wednesday afternoon.

The change was announced during a COVID-19 media update with Streicker and Dr. Brendan Hanley, the chief medical officer.

The COVID-19 information station on the Alaska Highway in Whitehorse also closed this week.

“Let me be clear: it will continue to be the law under the Civil Emergency Measures Act, CEMA, to declare yourself if you’re arriving from a jurisdiction outside of B.C., N.W.T., or Nunavut, even outside of these daytime hours,” Streicker said.

“If you intentionally provide incorrect information or do not stop and declare yourself as required, it is considered an offence under CEMA and individuals will be charged.”

Streicker said travel into the Yukon by road has been noticeably dwindling, and travellers usually cross the border between mid-morning and late afternoon.

“We think that the number of travellers that will be passing through while it is staffed will be the preponderance of the travellers,” Streicker said.

New charges were laid under CEMA on Tuesday. One person was charged with failing to provide a declaration and failing to comply with a self-isolation order. There have now been 17 charges laid under CEMA.

Hanley also provided an update on the individual who was hospitalized with COVID-19 last weekend in Whitehorse.

The individual, who is a resident of an unidentified jurisdiction outside of the Yukon and fell ill while visiting the territory, is stable and improving.

Hanley said the individual “did everything right,” as they were not ill when they entered the Yukon and sought care once symptoms began.

“Within hours of receiving the positive test result on Friday morning, YCDC (Yukon Communicable Disease Control) had interviewed the individual and their close contacts,” Hanley said.

“After reviewing the information, it was determined the risk of exposure to others was small, and no public notifications would be required.”

Hanley said the person was assessed at the emergency department at Whitehorse General Hospital, and all infection control measures were carried out.

“The hospital was fully prepared to care for any individual with COVID, and hospital staff cared for the individual with the usual calm and high standard of care that the hospital prides itself in,” Hanley said.

He said he won’t share information on where the individual travelled here from, to protect their privacy.

Updated enforcement statistics show the Yukon government has received 857 complaints, 478 of which involve the failure to self-isolate and 331 the failure to transit through the Yukon in 24 hours.

A total of 50,510 travellers have entered the Yukon since border restrictions came into place last spring.

Resident travellers account for 10,705, while B.C. residents account for 10,601.