Open AccessThe Yukon’s experience with COVID-19: Travel restrictions, variants and spread among the unvaccinated
Author(s) -
Sara McPhee-Knowles,
Bryn Hoffman,
Lisa Kanary
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
canada communicable disease report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1481-8531
pISSN - 1188-4169
DOI - 10.14745/ccdr.v48i01a03
Subject(s) - covid-19 , masking (illustration) , vaccination , public health interventions , transmission (telecommunications) , psychological intervention , public health , medicine , pandemic , environmental health , geography , disease , virology , outbreak , nursing , infectious disease (medical specialty) , computer science , telecommunications , art , pathology , visual arts
The Yukon’s experience with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been an interesting one; the territory successfully implemented travel restrictions to limit importing the virus and rolled out vaccines quickly compared to most Canadian jurisdictions. However, the Yukon’s first wave of COVID-19 in June and July 2021 overwhelmed the healthcare system due to widespread transmission in unvaccinated children, youth and adults, despite high vaccination uptake overall and mandatory masking. This experience highlights the importance of continued support for public vaccination programs, widespread vaccine uptake in paediatric populations, and the judicious relaxation of non-pharmaceutical interventions in all Canadian jurisdictions as they reopen while more contagious variants emerge.