WHITEHORSE — Yukon's acting chief medical officer of health says the territory will continue to gradually lift COVID-19 restrictions despite political pressure brought on by protests and blockades in other parts of the country.
Dr. Catherine Elliott says the territory has lagged behind other jurisdictions since the start of the pandemic and more time is needed to watch health trends before it fully reopens.
"The data looks at this point (like) we've reached the Omicron peak, and we have early signals that it may be starting to decline. I stress that these are early and there's much uncertainty at this time," she said during a briefing on Thursday.
"The trends fluctuate quickly, and the curves are much more jagged, which makes it much harder to predict where we are and to predict the future. This is why we continue to watch the numbers as we work toward easing measures."
She says decisions are made after analyzing population immunity, the number of hospitalizations and deaths, outbreaks and clusters in vulnerable settings, case activity and staffing strain on workforces.
One of the government's goals is to see case counts low enough by the summer to welcome tourists and allow businesses to safely operate freely, Elliott said.
The territory is easing more restrictions starting Friday by increasing limits for recreational team sports for those aged 19 and over, and for other activities to 25 people or 50 per cent of venue capacity, whichever is less.
The limit for indoor cultural gatherings and outdoor personal gatherings will also be increased to 25 people or 50 per cent capacity with no restriction on the number of households.
Indoor personal gatherings will continue to be limited to 10 people, but will no longer be limited to two households. Bars and restaurants will be allowed to reintroduce bar service.
More measures are expected to be eased next week, including an increase to the limit for indoor organized events to 50 per cent venue capacity and removing the two-household limit for groups sitting at tables in bars and restaurants.
Economic Development Minister Ranj Pillai also introduced a new program that will allow bars and restaurants to receive up to $20,000 per month for a total of up to $60,000. He said those businesses can also receive a one-time supplement of $10,000 and eligibility is retroactive to Nov. 8, when the territory declared a state of emergency.
Yukon is also streamlining its main economic immigration plan, the Yukon Nominee Program, and will be temporarily waiving the previous requirement to demonstrate the need to hire outside of Canada until June 30.
"We recognize that the public health measures in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 have presented challenges for businesses in the territory, especially in the hospitality sector," Pillai said. "We will continue to work with local businesses to ensure they have the support they need to remain open."
The Yukon Liquor Corporation is also providing bars and restaurants with a rebate on their 2022-2023 liquor licence fee.
— By Brieanna Charlebois in Vancouver.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2022.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
The Canadian Press
