A slow and methodical plan for reopening the territory is coming later this week, according to the premier and chief medical officer.

“We are not ready to declare the territory risk-free,” Premier Sandy Silver said Tuesday afternoon.

The territory hasn’t seen a new case of COVID-19 in more than three weeks, but there is still a risk of imported cases while the virus exists in other parts of the country and the world.

Dr. Brendan Hanley, the chief medical officer, told a media briefing that expanded testing criteria have seen an increased number of people being evaluated for COVID-19, but no new cases have surfaced.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Yukon has tested 1,106 people for the virus, with 1,077 resulting in negative results. Eighteen tests are currently pending.

There are no active cases in the territory.

“As we look to the future, our biggest pandemic threat is that COVID will be introduced from outside the territory,” Hanley said.

“As we look at easing restrictions, we must continue with stringent border controls.”

Hanley said he has heard numerous concerns that Americans travelling through the territory will bring the virus with them.

“That has not happened,” Hanley said.

Hundreds of people have travelled through the territory since the beginning of the pandemic, he noted. (See p. 10 for the latest on the Canada-U.S. border closure.)

There will likely not be any international flights allowed to land in the Yukon this summer, Hanley said.

Condor Airline still has flights from Frankfurt to Whitehorse listed on its website, with the first scheduled to land on June 27.

“That flight will not be arriving,” Hanley clarified, when the listings were queried at the media briefing.

“I think there are still some communication connections to be made but we will not be in a position to welcome international arrivals.”

Hanley said there are approximately 30,000 Canadians outside of the country who will be returning home once international border restrictions are lifted.

When these people arrive home to Canada, they will be under federal quarantine.

Yukoners can expect the territory’s border restrictions to remain in place for the time being.

Earlier this month, Hanley estimated that the borders will remain closed until a vaccine is widely available, expected to be approximately 12 to 18 months.

“Yukoners who leave the territory for any reason, and I recognize there will be legitimate reasons to do so, will be required to self-isolate on return,” Hanley said.

If Yukoners are making plans to leave the territory, he recommended, they should ensure they have a place to safely self-isolate upon return.

Hanley is also relaxing his recommendation to only travel to Yukon communities when necessary, in recognition of many campgrounds reopening on June 4.

“I think the words ‘safe, respectful’ and ‘limited travel’ might be the best way to prepare us for the summer,” Hanley said.

A comprehensive plan for reopening the territory won’t be announced until Friday afternoon.

Silver said his government has been working to get information out as quickly as possible. He denied that there has been any delay in providing an outline for reopening.

“We made a conscientious decision that we would follow a scientific approach to getting information out,” Silver said.

“We aren’t looking to act politically when it comes to those announcements.”

As businesses reopen, Silver said, food trucks and community markets are also preparing for the summer season. They are doing so with guidelines from the government.

A plan for childcare will also be presented later this week, Silver said.

Childcare operators and summer camps will be contacted in the coming days to plan for the summer season.