Photo by Whitehorse Star
Dr. Brendan Hanley
Territory records its first COVID-19 death
The Yukon’s first death as a result of COVID-19 occurred Thursday in Watson Lake, the chief medical officer of health announced this morning in Whitehorse.
The Yukon’s first death as a result of COVID-19 occurred Thursday in Watson Lake, the chief medical officer of health announced this morning in Whitehorse.
Dr. Brendan Hanley told a press conference the death occurred among one of the five cases that had been confirmed in the community of 1,482.
The individual was older and had underlying medical conditions, and died while he or she was in isolation at home, Hanley said.
He explained for reasons of confidentially, the gender of the individual is not being released.
The chief medical officer offered his condolences to the individual’s partner and family.
“Today, I mourn with Watson Lake and all of you,” he said. “It is a very sad day and one I had hoped would not come.”
The individual was being monitored daily by medical staff, he said, noting the death was sudden and unexpected, but peaceful.
Hanley said the individual was actually nearing the time when recovery is generally seen.
But there can be developments caused by COVID-19, such as blood clotting in the lungs and heart that can quickly change the status of an individual, particularly with those who have underlying conditions, he said.
Hanley said tests have been conducted on 53 Watson Lake residents, and all have come back.
He remains confident that there has been no further transmission in the community, given the contact tracing that has been done.
The source of the Watson Lake outbreak of five cases has not been determined, and Hanley said it may never be determined, but health officials remain vigilant in carrying out contact tracing.
The level of COVID-19 risk to the community of Watson Lake and the Yukon has not increased as a result of the death, says a press release issued by Hanley.
He said death is a reminder of the importance of maintaining the safe six measures to help prevent the spread of the pandemic.
While he is still encouraging kids to go out trick-or-treating for Halloween tomorrow, he does ask that measures be taken to maintain social distancing.
People giving out candy, for instance, should come up with a method of handing out the treats while maintaining social distancing by using some sort of delivery chute or hockey stick.
Kids should use a broom or sword to knock on doors, he has recommended.
The confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Yukon remain at 23, of which 17 have recovered.
There have been 4,053 tests conducted in the territory. with 3,981 negative results and 49 results pending.
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Comments (14)
Up 2 Down 2
ummm - stop speculating on Nov 4, 2020 at 7:16 pm
It's not speculation when you know.
Up 10 Down 11
Patti Eyre on Nov 4, 2020 at 2:00 pm
Oh Josie Josie Josie, if ya have nothing good to say about this wonderful country, maybe move? I would be sad, but I would still pray for you!
Up 15 Down 7
DL on Nov 3, 2020 at 7:20 pm
Wrong headline. The title could say that this person died WITH covid. But it can not call this a "covid-19 death". Where is the evidence that covid was the cause of death? This is a difference that has major implications, and mainstream media should stop the needless covid dramatization. Fact is, this person was elderly and had other conditions that could have caused death.
Now, how about some real journalism. Please present statistics on this year's respiratory critical cases and deaths, as compared to previous years. Because right now most of us don't see evidence of a pandemic: all of the 21 Yukon positive covid cases are recovering at home with mild symptoms. One died of undetermined cause(s). That's NOT a pandemic!
Mainstream media is serving us daily alarming stories about new covid cases. BUT we need to know, aren't these simply positive test results from these unreliable PCR tests? How many of them are actually sick? Most important: how many of them are CRITICALLY ill and in need of hospitalization? Turns out that many who test positive don't even have symptoms, or only have mild symptoms.
It doesn't sound like the person whose story this is was even critically ill, or else they would have been at the hospital. Or, perhaps they didn't want to go to the hospital? At any rate, if mainstream media and medical officers are going to publicly announce covid related deaths, then they have the responsibility to tell us exactly how they determined the cause of death. Despite the title of the above article, it completely fails to indicate how the death was even covid related. This kind of omission borders on disinformation at a time where we are expected to comply with lockdowns that collectively have far more negative impacts and deaths than covid itself.
Up 20 Down 5
Stop speculating. on Nov 3, 2020 at 12:11 pm
How about we don't speculate and jump to conclusions because IT'S NONE OF OUR BUSINESS.
I'm sure that if this person wasn't doing well or didn't feel comfortable at home, they would have been at the hospital. Not everyone who has underlying medical conditions dies from COVID.
Please be respectful to the family who is processing and grieving and quit blaming anyone. IT''S NO ONES FAULT.
Up 11 Down 8
Josey Wales on Nov 3, 2020 at 6:32 am
hey uum....one need not go to the political elite to prove the "tier" system here in Canadastan.
Just mosey over to Roxam Road, as a illegals...slither to Roxam Road now entering as "refugees" despite they came from a 1st world country.
STILL HAPPENING AND NEVER EVER STOPPED A DAY, nor did flights from ChIna!!
RCMP stevedores carry the luggage their wives took outta their state funded taxi, full medical treatment on the spot at their mini hospital set up...for the cultural supremist, the Jihadd Joe, the up and coming Omars.
There are many tiers in this house of cards, Know this...
old stock Canucks...
in particular the white male...
matter not to those political blowholes.
Clearly. Lest we forgot.
All characters completely relevant to our lying times, harder to GASLIGHT OJ
geez..another CCofR&F's protected freely expressed opinion.
stay tuned...
Trump 2020
Up 13 Down 10
Carp on Nov 2, 2020 at 5:06 pm
@June
Weren’t you just saying the other day that COVID is fake?
Up 33 Down 7
Juniper Jackson on Nov 1, 2020 at 8:21 pm
ummm. You are totally correct. Shades of Terry Coventry and 'Frank".
All the talk of protecting our most vulnerable was just talk. I'm pretty sure the staff in Watson Lake would have talked to our Chief Medical Officer. So, find out who made that decision to send this vulnerable person home. I am so sorry for the family.. and just angry that this happened. Perhaps that person would still be with us had he been hospitalized. That isn't very good news for the vulnerable in the Territory.
Up 25 Down 9
Mitchell Raftis on Nov 1, 2020 at 12:56 pm
There have been 4,053 tests conducted in the territory. with 3,981 negative results and 49 results pending.
I wonder what percentage of tests have been on high ranking government officials, repeatedly. As the rest are told to just keep our kids home take 'sick days'. Which I'm not sure if the government understands that for normal folk 'sick days' mean no pay and inevitably replaced.
Up 28 Down 2
BB on Oct 31, 2020 at 1:19 pm
I am glad to know this person died peacefully, at home, surrounded by family / loved ones. Condolences to the family, it must have been a shock and I'm sure it's a difficult time for them right now. Hang in there, we are all thinking of you. Things will get better!
Up 57 Down 13
umm on Oct 31, 2020 at 1:18 pm
You sent a person home to fight with Covid who had underlying health conditions.
Canada's second tier citizen. If it was a premier or minister, hospital with 24 hr care.
This was a confirmed case with other health concerns. The response was to send him home?
Up 49 Down 1
Hur dur on Oct 31, 2020 at 5:09 am
Condolences to the family of the victim.
Up 32 Down 48
Gee George, which way did he go? on Oct 30, 2020 at 10:29 pm
It is unfortunate that someone has passed. My condolences.
However, to the issue of death by Covid - Prove it. We know how ‘coding’ schemes are agenda driven from crime rates to mental health concerns, from any cause of death too. it's Covid.
Up 20 Down 20
Mike on Oct 30, 2020 at 7:49 pm
And now the count begins. How about opening that border to everyone. Don't worry our community is banding together, we got this under control. Rest in peace my friend.
Up 34 Down 47
Matthew on Oct 30, 2020 at 5:49 pm
The individual was older and had underlying medical conditions, and died while he or she was in isolation at home, Hanley said
Ahh.. just as expected..
Finally.. we're on the board! Sad to hear but still 10,000 deaths is NOT a pandemic, it's also surely not enough to shut down the economy costing us over $400B. That's about 10,000k / Canadian.. did you get 10K? I didn't...