Brendan Hanley, the Yukon’s chief medical officer, declared a public health emergency late this morning.

“We are in such a place that the pace of preparations are outstripping the pace of the virus, and that’s how we want to keep it,” Hanley told members of the media.

He and Premier Sandy Silver provided an update to COVID-19 preparations in the territory.

There are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Yukon. Hanley was not able to give the exact number of tests to date, but he estimated that 120 negative results have come back to the Yukon. There are approximately 80 tests still pending, expected by the end of this week.

The public emergency declaration is intended as a proactive measure, enabling Hanley to enforce his medical directives more quickly.

Hanley will now be able to enforce self-isolation or quarantine measures. This could look like the issuance of a letter or inspection of an authoritative body, ensuring the person in question is adherent to quarantine requirements.

Hanley noted these enforcement measures can be at any scale according to the potentially escalating situation.

A number of extra public health measures were enacted this morning.

Classes are suspended at all Yukon public schools until April 15, or until further notice. This measure will close 30 schools and affect 5,580 students. The current March break will conclude at the end of next week.

Today’s announcement means classes will not take place for two weeks following spring break.

Hanley said that distance education will take place in lieu of in-person classes, and Grade 12 students will still graduate.

The Education department is currently working on procedures for distance learning which will begin after spring break.

Daycares are not closed, because those situations need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis. For instance, rural and urban daycares are facing different situations and varying needs.

Hanley said he is working with daycare owners to find the logical next steps, and the key principle is spacing considerations.

All public indoor recreational facilities are required to close. These include the Canada Games Centre and ice rinks (see story below).

All three Yukon hospitals are closed to visitors, with some exceptions. A limit of two people will be permitted to visit maternity patients, sick children, patients at end of life or in emergency situations.

Caregivers of persons with disability and substitute decision makers will also be permitted to visit.

All volunteer services at hospitals are suspended and renovations are paused.

Virtual care is being implemented at major medical clinics, Hanley said. This means doctors are being instructed to meet with patients by phone or video conference as frequently as possible. There is already a telehealth system in the Yukon, and that is being utilized.

Doctors will be reimbursed for all visits by telephone, Hanley said.

Bars and restaurants are still permitted to stay open, keeping in mind the ban announced Monday on gatherings of more than 50 people and recommended two-metre space kept between patrons.

Hanley said the Yukon is currently testing for COVID-19 “fairly aggressively” to detect the first case and cluster of cases. Detainment is still the first strategy for fighting the disease in the territory, Hanley said. There are also random acts of surveillance underway.

Hanley noted that people with flu-like symptoms without travel history “almost certainly” have influenza, not COVID-19.

The wait for test results is reportedly upwards of at least six days, due to backlog in testing. The Yukon’s tests are sent to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) lab in Vancouver.

The Yukon has a long history working with the BCCDC lab, Hanley said. That is where the territory’s influenza and hepatitis tests are also sent.

The Yukon currently has a good relationship with that lab, meaning that there are reliable transportation mechanisms in place. This is something that matters as much as speed of results.

That means the Yukon will likely not look into sending tests elsewhere for faster results.

Hanley said the testing capacity in B.C. has “expanded significantly” this week.

He expects that the backlog of tests will be resolved in the days to come.

Hanley added that it will never be feasible to test for COVID-19 in the territory.

The test for virus particles requires lab security that is beyond the Yukon’s capacity.

“I don’t think the solution will be local testing, just to ensure better turnaround times,” Hanley said.

Silver said he spoke with federal officials this morning, including Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Silver said federal funding will soon be available to the Yukon, and he is working to communicate that with businesses and the territory’s chambers of commerce.

Hanley said he has recommended that the Yukon government finish budget deliberations as quickly as possible, so the legislative assembly can focus all of its efforts on COVID-19 preparations.

Hanley said he is aware of the effect that the shutdown of services and gatherings will have on the well-being of Yukoners. He noted these decisions are not made lightly, and responses are measured and incremental.

Cases of the virus have now been reported in northern B.C. and Alaska.