Photo by Whitehorse Star
Dr. Catherine Elliott
Delta variant rears its head in territory
The first cases of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus have arrived in the Yukon.
The first cases of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus have arrived in the Yukon.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Catherine Elliott, the acting chief medical officer of health, reported nine new cases of COVID-19 from noon Tuesday to noon Wednesday.
Those include two cases of the Delta variant which is causing rising problems across Canada.
“I appreciate that this news of the Delta variant may be concerning, and I want to be clear that this transmission occurred outside of the Yukon and that there have been no known exposures to others in the Yukon,” Elliott said.
“We know Delta is on the rise and it is only a matter of time until we see more cases so, Yukoners, please do your part to protect yourself and others and get vaccinated.
“Vaccination remains our best protection against these variants.”
Elliott has confirmed that one out-of-territory resident and one Yukoner have the Delta variant.
The investigations of these two cases are complete, and their contacts are isolating.
One person with the Delta variant is in hospital, the report stated.
There are no exposure events within the Yukon associated with these cases.
The number of active cases is currently at 47.
Eight of the new cases are in rural Yukon, likely in the Ross River area, where a significant outbreak is happening.
One case is an out-of-territory resident.
Since June 1, 616 people have recovered and six people have died, five of whom were unvaccinated, with one partially vaccinated.
A total of eight Yukoners have died from COVID-19 since November 2020.
The government is scheduled to hold its weekly COVID-19 briefing on Friday morning, a variation from the usual Wednesday timing.
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Comments (24)
Up 0 Down 1
Realistic, there's a difference on Aug 25, 2021 at 5:50 pm
I'm fine, too, with contributing to a health care system that pays for all of those things you mentioned. I'm even fine with contributing to the costs of unvaccinated COVID patients in hospitals and ICU's. The problem with your examples - smoking, drinking, poor eating habits, risky hobbies, even abortion - is that they are not contagious, and they won't spread to innocent people
Up 0 Down 1
with or of?? on Aug 25, 2021 at 4:47 pm
I still fail to understand what difference it makes if someone died WITH or OF COVID??? So, if someone dies WITH COVID and got it in the first place because they are e.g. undergoing cancer treatment and hence have a compromised immune system, it's ok for them to die and it's not as bad as if someone dies OF COVID? Maybe, just maybe, those people or those with other underlying conditions would have liked to live a bit longer (and without COVID maybe would have had the chance)?? How cynical can one be??? A little more social competence and responsibility would do some people good here.
Up 3 Down 6
George, we'll see on Aug 25, 2021 at 1:49 pm
I agree, I'm sure the courts will see some cases about asking for or providing proof of vaccine. But I'm betting that there were lots of discussions with lawyers before BC and Quebec rolled these out, especially since the services that are being restricted are 'non-essential'. I'm also betting that they hold up in court.
Up 7 Down 4
realistic on Aug 25, 2021 at 1:34 pm
Make you a deal...I'm ok with you getting cancer treatment after you've smoked for 20 years or drank booze regularly or ate too much fat food, that's your choice and you have the freedom to do it. There are ten times more people that die from preventable habits than covid. I'm ok with abortion and covering those costs, even though baby doesn't have a say. There were 85,000 abortions in Canada in 2019 and
there has been 26,000 covid deaths. I'm ok with medical help for someone who chose to drive too fast or even got hurt in an avoidable high risk injury like skydiving. I respect your freedom. That's Canada, check the statistics. I choose not to get vaccinated. You're more dangerous to me than I am to you. So unless you want to restrict the other major contributors to our taxed health care, you should respect my choice...
Up 14 Down 6
Groucho d'North on Aug 25, 2021 at 9:55 am
So during the early stages of this pandemic governments imposed travel restrictions and various tests to qualify people coming or going from the Yukon. Now the big bad Delta varient is here and all these checkpoint requirments are being done away with. Who decided it was time to halt these protective practices after months of promoting people to follow them?
Justin got his election, but at what cost to the public? I hope he is punished hard for his egotistical desire for a majority from this election. Don't vote Liberal to send him a clear messsage.
Up 11 Down 9
george on Aug 25, 2021 at 9:52 am
@ vaccine passport... that whole game is only one lawsuit away from being struck down. If it was legit everyone would do it. BC and Qubec are testing the waters and will soon find themselves at the end of a lawsuit spending taxpayer dollars arguing that it's ok to waste money because most majority support it. Fortunately, freedoms and rights were never based on majority.
Up 21 Down 10
Vaccine passport to BC? on Aug 24, 2021 at 2:38 pm
Gordon of Riverdale, not sure if that's a serious question. Nobody is stopping you from traveling to BC. But yeah, if you want to go to a 'non-essential' place or event, you'll have to provide proof of vaccination (the card, for now) starting next month. And if you're going to fly, you'll have to provide it in October. My opinion - all of that is a good thing.
Up 7 Down 6
Gordon of Riverdale on Aug 24, 2021 at 10:06 am
Sooo - when can I get my "Yukon vaccine passport" so I can travel to B.C. ?
Up 16 Down 8
Politico on Aug 20, 2021 at 2:58 pm
@MYFacts So your using Texas as an example of how to count infections. Well, at least they've had lots of practice!
Up 20 Down 6
Gilles Fortin on Aug 20, 2021 at 1:06 pm
And let's all guess when our next lock down will start - October 6 ?
Up 14 Down 2
Dougie on Aug 20, 2021 at 6:11 am
@Juniper -June, the silence is deafening.
Up 7 Down 4
bonanzajoe on Aug 19, 2021 at 9:00 pm
Welcome, welcome! What took you so long. If ya can't beatem, joinem.
Up 26 Down 7
BnR on Aug 19, 2021 at 6:53 pm
People showing up with "facts" and quotes from the Texas Tribune is why I do love some Whitehorse Star comments.
Up 30 Down 19
Juniper Jackson on Aug 19, 2021 at 5:30 pm
blah blah blah.. we are being maneuvered into another lockdown.. Delta has been here for a while I think. Yukoners are travellers. Most have loved ones, relatives outside that their hearts need to see. So, we go see them. Or, bring them here. The chances that variants are not going to show up here were very, very slim.
In case the unemployed, homeless, hungry haven't noticed. Lockdowns open stellar opportunities, with the Emergency Measures Act, for government to bypass oversight and parliamentary safeguards and as Trudeau said, "basic dictatorships get things done." https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/justin-trudeau-s-foolish-china-remarks-spark-anger-1.2421351
Up 20 Down 20
DL on Aug 19, 2021 at 4:59 pm
So, Catherine Elliott says to “please do your part to protect yourself and others and get vaccinated. Vaccination remains our best protection against these variants.”
However, information from medical sources states that the covid vax does not prevent transmission. Look up these articles recently published in online medical/science magazines:
Nature, August 12, 2021: “How do vaccinated people spread Delta? What the science says”
"Emerging data suggest that Delta could spread more readily than other coronavirus variants among people vaccinated against COVID-19."
Medical Trend, August 13, 2021: “Why can vaccinated people still spread COVID-19 Delta variants?”
Up 32 Down 26
DL on Aug 19, 2021 at 4:58 pm
This article has at least one glaring inaccuracy: “A total of eight Yukoners have died from COVID-19 since November 2020.” Wrong. The fact is, at least several of these eight people died of other pre-existing conditions while testing covid positive with the highly questionable PCR test that churns out false positives.
We’re unsure of how many actually died of covid, or pre-existing conditions, because our dear Chief Medical Officer claims it’s necessary to keep that info under cover to spare the family. Does that secrecy make sense? Especially since we’ve been enduring restrictions on our freedoms? Why the inaccurate reporting?
Up 41 Down 24
Matt on Aug 19, 2021 at 4:41 pm
I love the anti-vaxx crowd.....a ready market for dunce hats. Don't worry spinning around 3 times under a full moon while standing on one leg will probably work for you.... the bright side... the gene pool will improve at some point in the weeding out process.
Up 41 Down 77
Matthew on Aug 19, 2021 at 4:09 pm
How was your vacation during these times under a state of emergency? Really shows your true colours... I would say that a strong and healthy immune system is by FAR the best protector from ANY virus, not just this one and its countless varients.. can you please advise how to build a healthy immune system? Or don't you know..
Up 44 Down 75
jeff bikaboom on Aug 19, 2021 at 3:59 pm
"five of whom were unvaccinated". Could this be because they died before the vaccine was invented?
A suggestion. Instead of a daily article about corona numbers, how about a daily article about human rights and civil liberties.
Also please an article about how they test for delta variant since I am unaware of any such test existing.
Up 36 Down 30
Mr Facts on Aug 19, 2021 at 3:58 pm
Can the Catherine confirm if this is happening here? Of course not. Your whole agenda would fall apart.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/21/coronavirus-texas-vaccinated-deaths/
Is an absolutely beautiful quote:
DSHS doesn’t track the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations among vaccinated people statewide because hospitals are not required to report that information to the state. Travis County’s health authority, Dr. Desmar Walkes, told county commissioners and Austin City Council members in a Tuesday meeting that almost all new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the area have been among unvaccinated people.
So the only reason we need to count a vaccinated person who gets hospitalized as an official hospitalization is if they die.
Up 42 Down 8
jeff bikaboom on Aug 19, 2021 at 3:53 pm
I have just one question. Is vaccination our best protection against these variants?
Up 24 Down 13
Question Variant on Aug 19, 2021 at 3:38 pm
Was it not earlier news postings that identified Delta variant in Yukon? Do not think “just new”.
Up 33 Down 41
Dave on Aug 19, 2021 at 3:00 pm
‘Vaccination’. If the current shots for Covid can be described as a vaccine then Contact C can start calling itself a ‘vaccine’ for a cold.
Up 34 Down 38
Rick S on Aug 19, 2021 at 2:42 pm
Catherine told me back in spring the Gamma variant would seek me out "like a heat-seeking missile", but I still haven't picked up anything on my radar.