DAWSON CITY – Chief Roberta Joseph is encouraging all Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in citizens to follow the recommendations of Dr. Brendan Hanley, the Yukon’s chief medical officer.

Those urgings include practising social distancing, frequent hand washing, and sneezing or coughing into their arm or a tissue.

In addition, Joseph is saying that anyone displaying symptoms of any illness should take precautions and self-isolate.

She has learned that some people in her community don’t seem to be taking the safety measures proposed to deal with the COVID-19 situation seriously.

“Implementing these measures might seem alarming, as there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the territory, but it will likely arrive here, and for all we know, it already has,” she wrote in a letter posted last Friday on FaceBook.

That was before it was announced there are three known cases in the Yukon.

“Doing everything we can now will reduce the risk of this virus spreading in our community,” Joseph continued.

“The simple acts of practicing self-distancing and washing our hands could mean a vulnerable person or elder won’t get sick. We could be saving a life through these small safety measures.”

The TH government has already circulated an extensive list of things that people should do or not do at this time.

“Together, we can keep each other safe,” Chief Joseph concluded. “We all have to do our part.”