COVID-19 health restrictions are dropping like flies.

Premier Sandy Silver and the acting chief medical officer of health, Dr. Catherine Elliott, announced this morning that mandatory masking and vaccine passports will be dropped on March 18 – unless there is a sudden flare-up of cases.

The territorial state of emergency could possibly go with them in mid-March, Silver added in response to a reporter’s question.

On April 4, the last of the restrictions – the vaccine mandate for public employees – will likely tumble as well. “We will continue to monitor the situation,” Silver said.

With the mandate, he added, the government “had a duty to lead by example.”

The moves come as Elliott said the Yukon is now past the crest of the Omicron wave, and has stabilized with moderate numbers being seen.

She said there are 43 active cases today, with four new cases identified overnight from Tuesday.

She didn’t mention the testing positivity rate, which is a key indicator of how prevalent the virus remains in the community.

The government and public health officials will continue to move forward with dropping some restrictions this Friday, including gathering limits and dancing at bars and restaurants.

“We’re trending in the right direction,” Silver said.

He defended the implementation of the vaccine mandate for public workers, saying it had been “very successful.”

“It’s been very effective in keeping our workplaces safe.”

In some specific locations for government workers, the mandate might continue, but that is under discussion, and has not been finalized.

Silver said nearly 100 full-time workers remain on unpaid leave, along with nearly 200 casual and on-call staff.

Those numbers have remained consistent for most of this year.

Silver said he couldn’t predict what frame of mind those workers will have when (and if) they return after their extended layoffs.

“I can’t answer that,” he replied. “...This policy was necessary,” he later said of the mandate.

The government and health officials are giving a little more than two weeks’ notice that the masking regulations and proof of vaccine certificates will be eliminated in a bid to help prepare Yukoners for the big changes.

Elliott said some people will welcome the changes, while others might find them frightening.

The key to that dilemma, she said, is simply to show respect for the choices people make in their lives.

Some people will be more eager than others to drop masks, while some will choose to continue to wear them, Elliott said.

Silver added that he planned on continuing to wear a mask in various settings, such as shopping, for the foreseeable future.

Elliott also said she hoped the divisiveness the various health restrictions have fostered will start to wane if people simply show some tolerance and accept that individuals will make different choices based on their own judgment.

Elliott compared the situation to choosing how to wear winter clothes. Some will opt for more layers than others, she said, and no one seriously questions that.

“Be wise in your choices and respect other people’s,” she advised.

Silver noted that after March 18, private businesses and organizations will still be able to make their own decisions on whether to implement restrictions such as continued masking on their premises.

Once the mask mandate ends, though, the operators will take individual responsibility for those decisions, and can’t rely on government enforcement.

Also in response to questions from reporters, Elliott and Silver said the territory remains poised to swiftly implement restrictions again should there be a need.

“We’re prepared to pivot on a dime,” Elliott said.

“This is a big day. This is really good news,” Silver said.

“I hope the next variant and outbreak is months away. But we’re prepared if one occurs.”