At the stroke of midnight, the Yukon government will end its long-running state of emergency (CEMA) directed at the COVID-19 virus as if it’s an unwanted pumpkin at Hallowe’en – as it pushes ahead with its relaxation of rules.

At the weekly virus briefing this morning, Premier Sandy Silver confirmed the order will end.

Officially, that will happen at 11:59 tonight.

As of tomorrow, there will be no official controls by the government as related to the pandemic – as several provinces announce returns to strict controls.

Perhaps as of much, or more, interest to the general public, Silver and a government staff member say the YG is developing its own version of a vaccine certificate that people can use when they’re travelling.

The certificate will be on top of the cards handed out at vaccination clinics, and will be officially verified.

“The online certificates are in development,” Silver said. “We will have more news shortly.”

Silver said at this time, YG is not currently moving in the same direction as British Columbia, which will also use the cards to permit people entry to sporting events, theatres and other so-called non-essential businesses.

There are no plans to introduce such restrictions in the Yukon, Silver said.

Rather, the Yukon certificates are geared toward travelling, and will fall in line with a request from the federal government to standardize certificates.

Yukoners can also currently request a print version of an immunization certificate from their local health centres, Silver said.

On Tuesday, Clarissa Wall, the assistant director of communications for the Department of Health and Social Services, told the Star that “currently, Yukoners receive a card upon vaccination and can also submit a request for their paper vaccination records through their local health centre. 

“Like many other jurisdictions in Canada, we are currently developing an easy and secure way for Yukoners to get official proof of their COVID-19 vaccination online,” Wall said.

“This will have features built in to prevent forgery and allow it to be verified.”

Silver said other jurisdictions are accepting the small appointment cards as verification of vaccination status across Canada at this time.

“It’s an exciting day today,” Silver said, referring to the end of the state of emergency. “It’s an anxious day for some.”

The end of the CEMA order means the end of enforcement for health restrictions, Silver said.

“We’re ending the state of emergency as an emergency management tool,” he said. “But if we have to go back, we will be well-prepared.”

Yukoners will now be responsible for deciding on much of the recommended health measures they wish to follow.

“We will be able to enjoy many of the activities that have been restricted,” added Dr. Catherine Elliott, the acting chief medical officer of health. “But it’s not a licence to abandon all measures.”

COVID-19 activity in the Yukon is continuing to stabilize, Elliott added.

There were two new cases detected Tuesday, and the active case count is 36.

Meanwhile, Elliott said Tuesday that people may have been exposed to COVID-19 infection if they were on the following Air North flight:

• Aug. 21, flight 4N702, Edmonton to Whitehorse, departure at 10:05 a.m., arrival at 1:25 p.m.

“This is a low-risk public notice,” Elliott said in a statement.

“Anyone who was on this flight is asked to self-monitor for 14 days, through September 4.

“If symptoms appear, self-isolate, remain at home and arrange to get tested either by calling 867-393-3083 or booking a test online.”

Rural Yukon residents should contact their community health centre to arrange for testing.

Anyone on this flight who is not fully vaccinated should especially self-monitor for symptoms.

Also on Tuesday, Elliott reported seven confirmed new cases of COVID-19 from noon last Friday through noon Monday.

While there are two confirmed Delta cases in the territory, those involved weren’t infected here.

Public health officials are still expecting Delta to show up anytime, Elliott said, and are prepared for it.

Until Delta gains more of a foothold in the Yukon, it won’t be a focus of public reports, she said.

“Delta is an expected reality,” Silver added. “We must remain vigilant.”

Those reports are starting to dwindle as the situation in the territory remains fairly stable.

Effective immediately, the weekly COVID-19 briefings have been cut back to every two weeks, while the case numbers update are now three times a week.

The numbers will remain available daily on the Yukon government’s website.

A total of eight Yukoners have died from COVID-19 since November 2020. None of the people who have died in the Yukon were fully vaccinated.

“I thank all Yukoners across the territory for your extraordinary efforts and commitment to following public health advice and stopping the spread of COVID-19,” Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn said in a statement.

“We will continue to work with public health officials to monitor the situation closely in the Yukon, and I encourage all of us to continue to follow the advice of our acting chief medical officer of health and get vaccinated.”