In a change of philosophy, the Yukon government and territorial health officials are moving to loosen the pandemic health restrictions that so many people have been chafing under.

Premier Sandy Silver and Dr. Brendan Hanley, the chief medical officer of health, announced this morning during the weekly COVID-19 briefing that Grades 10-12 high school students in Whitehorse will be returning to full-time studies in April.

The two men also mentioned further relaxations of the health measures could be in the offing – possibly including expansions of social bubbles and the re-establishment of travel bubbles outside the territory.

Both Silver and Hanley expressed puzzlement that anyone would call the decisions an “about-face” and major change in direction from what they have been saying for months.

“I find that perplexing,” Silver said.

“I’m not sure when that turnabout happened,” Hanley said.

Interestingly, Yukon University students will not be returning to in-person classes until next fall at the earliest.

Hanley said he has heard repeatedly from parents of senior high school students that their children were struggling under the half-day regime.

“We know students learn best in face-to-face learning,” he said.

Hanley said he had weighed the evidence from other jurisdictions that hadn’t imposed such restrictions.

He was satisfied the pandemic health measures were ingrained well enough in Yukoners that it would be safe to return to full-time classroom learning for the rest of the year... which amounts to less than three months. The two-week March break will begin next week.

“We’re very pleased with this,” Silver said.

“This is great news on the surface,” Ted Hupé, the president of the Yukon Teachers’ Association, told the Star early this afternoon.

“However, I have as many details as you do. As soon as I get some more information, I will get back to you. 

“So far there is no information as to how this will happen,” Hupé noted.

“There are a lot of logistical and planning hurdles that have to be overcome.

 “I know many conversations will be taking place over the next two days.”

The territory’s schools closed after the COVID crisis exploded in the spring of 2020. Since last September, Grades 10-12 students in Whitehorse have been attending class half-time and doing their remaining studies online.

Silver and Hanley offered no details as to when the social bubbles will be expanded.

As for the travel bubbles, Silver and Hanley said an announcement could be coming in May or June. Other than that, not many details were available on that concept either.

Hanley did say the territory would not necessarily simply resume the travel bubble with British Columbia. Instead, everything is on the table, he explained.

Both men continued to emphasize the importance of vaccine uptake all over the territory.

Other than the high schools, any further decrease in restrictions are largely dependent on the rate of immunizations.

According to the government figures, vaccine rates in the central and southwestern regions of the Yukon aren’t as high as they could be (see separate coverage, p. 5). The central region currently features a 44 per cent uptake rate, while the southwest is at 51 per cent.

Neither man wished to discuss that situation in detail this morning, saying they weren’t going to “pit communities against each other.

“It’s not a competition,” Hanley said.

He added that in some cases, the communities were waiting for a second visit from the mobile teams. Hanley expected rates to rise in the coming weeks.

While he and the government won’t commit themselves to a firm benchmark that would have a good chance of establishing so-called herd immunity, Hanley pointed to the 75-per-cent mark as the usual benchmark needed.

He said the government does have interest in the newly-approved vaccine from Johnson&Johnson for use in rural areas.

Its formula is stable and doesn’t require sophisticated techniques for refrigeration.

It’s also a one-dose vaccine, making it more appealing in some ways than the Moderna vaccine currently being offered.

There continue to be no active cases of COVID-19 in the territory.

There will be no COVID-19 briefing next week due to the spring school break. Hanley will not be available, according to spokesperson Pat Living.