Whitehorse Daily Star

Image title

Photo by Whitehorse Star

Dr. Brendan Hanley

Territory’s 25th COVID case investigated

The Yukon’s 25th case of COVID-19 was announced late Tuesday afternoon.

By Whitehorse Star on November 18, 2020

The Yukon’s 25th case of COVID-19 was announced late Tuesday afternoon.

The additional case is linked to a previous case, said Dr. Brendan Hanley, the chief medical officer of health.

The case investigation is underway and Yukon Communicable Disease Control has reached most of the contacts. A public exposure notice has been issued.

Anyone who has been at any of the following locations and who develops symptoms should contact the COVID-19 Testing and Assessment Centre at 393-3083 in Whitehorse, or the health centre in their community. They should indicate they were in one of these places:

• Listers Motor Sports, between 8:30 a.m. and noon on Nov. 10;

• the A&W restaurant, between 3-6:30 p.m. on Nov. 8; and

• Save-On-Foods, before 1 p.m. Nov. 6

Meanwhile, a visitor to the Yukon has tested positive, Hanley said earlier Tuesday.

The new case is not a Yukon resident, and his or her diagnosis won’t affect the territory’s case count. The individual is self-isolating and doing well.

Contact tracing is being carried out, and there are no risks of public exposure.

Case number 24 – announced last Thursday – is also recovering in isolation.

That case was related to travel outside the territory, Hanley said. 

A public exposure warning was issued last Thursday for Save-On-Foods on Nov. 6 and A&W on Nov. 8.

Those who visited those locations on those dates are asked to self-monitor for symptoms and request testing for even mild signs of illness.

Hanley said the individual “did everything right,” and the public exposure warning was due to those locations being visited before symptom onset.

Contact tracing is also underway for case 24, and Hanley said it’s possible the territory will see additional cases related to it.

The recent cases are an important reminder to remain vigilant about the safe six, the chief medical officer said.

“COVID is unavoidable; we have seen now in several parts of the country where even tight border controls cannot keep it out,” Hanley said.

“We need to accept that COVID is part of our lives, right now.”

See related coverage.

Comments (15)

Up 8 Down 6

TheHammer on Nov 20, 2020 at 7:20 pm

Hammer The Hospital@ read the news. South of the Yukon border across Canada hospitals are under pressure, same in the USA. What do you think down south means, South of Whitehorse!!!!!! All you need in a retirement city is 50+ seniors needing respirators, and they are not going to get them at home. Even without a pandemic there's a shortage of beds at WGH. Not to mention the lack of security in the psychiatric section. What's going to happen when you have unstable people that need hospitalization for COVID?

Up 5 Down 5

JohnW on Nov 20, 2020 at 4:23 pm

National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease U.S. Director Dr. Anthony Fauci: "In all the history of respiratory-borne viruses of any type, asymptomatic transmission has never been the driver of outbreaks. The driver of outbreaks is ALWAYS a symptomatic person."

https://youtu.be/vrAvjU2LBkg
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286920

Up 6 Down 3

Hammer? -- uh on Nov 20, 2020 at 1:09 pm

What do you mean happening down south?

Up 10 Down 7

TheHammer on Nov 19, 2020 at 5:23 pm

The hospital? @"How are we going to exhaust hospital beds" ? Well that's what's happening down south. And we will find out. By the way if someone is in seniors housing and they are sent home to isolate, there is the issue of the ventilation system. Think about that!

Up 7 Down 7

TheHammer on Nov 19, 2020 at 2:39 pm

The Medical officer and YTG are not in control of the Virus. The control is in the hands of the people.

Up 7 Down 8

JohnW on Nov 19, 2020 at 2:20 pm

"Asymptomatic transmission is not or has ever been a driver by which respiratory infections are spread in epidemics." -- Dr. Anthony Fauci
Symptoms are proportional to the concentration of viruses in the body and the rate of shedding.
The idea of masks, is that they protect others from being exposed to your asymptomatic shedding of viral particles and thus infecting others. This misinformation is contrary to medical science, because in reality, we should welcome being exposed to asymptomatic shedding viruses as these folks are shedding at very low levels. That's how our immunity gets the benefit of developing knowledge without the dangers of exposure to high dosage rates as one would find from someone who is highly symptomatic.

Up 13 Down 10

DL on Nov 19, 2020 at 2:12 pm

This is a ‘casedemic’, not a pandemic. We need to listen to the real experts. Some quotes from virologist Dr. John Hodkinson’s November 2020 presentation to Edmonton city council, regarding the latest mask mandate and lockdowns: "utterly unfounded public hysteria driven by the media and politicians." … " This is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on an unsuspecting population," … "It should be thought of as nothing other than a bad flu season," said Hodkinson. "This is not ebola. It's not SARS." …

Dr. Hodkinson’s expertise is in the testing for COVID-19. Here is what he has to say about the covid tests: "I do want to emphasize that positive tests do not, underlined in neon, mean a clinical infection," he said. It's simply driving public hysteria, and all testing should stop unless you're presenting to hospital with some respiratory symptoms,"

Dr. Hodkinson states that the only approach needed is to provide support for the vulnerables, as in the Great Barrington Declaration.

See the full WND article at this link: https://www.wnd.com/2020/11/4871000/

Hear Dr. Hodkinson’s presentation at these links:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEo3rnU12jw
Or Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/video/hWPjDdXOWkOo/

Up 19 Down 10

Starbucks! on Nov 19, 2020 at 1:55 pm

I saw a police car getting coffee there. Ergo all Police are on 14 day isolation? Betting that won't happen.

All gov has to be on 14 day isolation? Larger purchasers of coffee from Starbucks is dun dun dun Gov workers!
maybe. I just find it strange that we're saying "contact tracing has started" by now that means everyone.

Up 19 Down 7

The hospital? on Nov 19, 2020 at 1:50 pm

When people have Covid and it is life threatening OR not the practice is to isolate them at home. How are we going to exhaust hospital beds?

Up 24 Down 6

TheHammer on Nov 19, 2020 at 1:03 pm

The new COVID case announced 19th has a list of possible contact places. Diwali Festival is one. The majority of Diwali festival goers all work at major outlets, including food stores, Walmart, and gas stations. The potential for a very wide wave is imminent. Opening the BC COVID hotspot bubble, failed to account for this kind of social event involving cross border family associations of a large segment of Yukon/BC population. No different from other similar events of mass infection around the world and in the USA.

Up 21 Down 0

Mallory. Pigage on Nov 19, 2020 at 7:30 am

What is going to stay open, & stay closed?

Up 21 Down 12

Jimbo on Nov 18, 2020 at 7:47 pm

Unreal!!!!! And they still WILL NOT test for asymptotic people.. even though according to WHO 80% of cases are asymptotic.... they are not trying to stop covid they are fueling the fire!!

Up 15 Down 21

Wilf Carter on Nov 18, 2020 at 6:28 pm

We have stop people traveling to and from Vancouver and main land BC where most of this CV19 is coming from.
This type of action is putting all seniors health problems at high risk.
Come on Sandy, Do what's smart.

Up 20 Down 16

Matthew on Nov 18, 2020 at 3:53 pm

Most people don't even remember what they ate yesterday, let alone where they were several days or weeks ago at certain times.. go on try it, what did you eat yesterday..

Up 21 Down 27

Simpleton on Nov 18, 2020 at 3:29 pm

I'm stuck. I know that Covid or the (Wuhan flu) was first found in September. We also know that Italy is claiming they saw evidence of Wuhan Flu in September. There is a serious question of whether China withheld important information about the flu and whether their lockdown was much too late.

Fast forward EIGHT MONTHS. The Yukon begins a lockdown.
Now, had the borders stayed shut I'd agree that it was necessary. Basic modelling. Here is a basic model

https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2020/feb/11/how-novel-coronavirus-spread-across-the-world-visual-explainer

In one month the virus basically covered the world. We've been dealing with this virus for a year! Yes, we need to accept that the "virus" is part of our lives, as is the flu, as is aids, as is the common cold. (Funny how we don't have a vaccine for that).

The virus has already passed through the Yukon. That is absolutely clear. There is a fear that "we won't be able to handle a mass pandemic." It will over run our hospital. Okay, but, let's take the realistic approach that we've all already been in contact with the virus (Which is way more realistic than believing we live in a Dyson or Hoover), then all we're doing is finding the people that have/had it. Considering there is no mandatory testing our numbers are based on a test case of a minority of the population.

This government doesn't want us to "let our guard down" by saying "Most likely you've already had it or came into contact with it. (Please, if you can prove different, do so!)

But what this has done? Increased angst, cynicism, virtue signaling, government income (when you take a full wage and decrease your costs what's to be expected, and set in place the foundation for the government to regulate every action under the umbrella of "state of emergency."
The Yukon was already controlled by legislation, now we're getting into micro legislation. Applying rules to EVERY aspect of a life.

In conclusion,
Answer this question please, "Has the Yukon already had the virus go through and would the majority of people have already been in contact with it?" Using the available science and modelling, my answer is... Yes.

Add your comments or reply via Twitter @whitehorsestar

In order to encourage thoughtful and responsible discussion, website comments will not be visible until a moderator approves them. Please add comments judiciously and refrain from maligning any individual or institution. Read about our user comment and privacy policies.

Your name and email address are required before your comment is posted. Otherwise, your comment will not be posted.