Number of active COVID-19 cases in Yukon drops, as people recover

The number of active cases of COVID-19 in Yukon hasdropped as people recover, but health officials sayYukonersmust continue to take the threat seriously.

In a news conference on Friday, chief medical officer Dr. Brendan Hanley reported no new cases of COVID-19 since his last public update on Wednesday, when there were six.

Four of those six people have now recovered from their illnesses, Hanley said on Friday. That's one more than on Wednesday.

All six cases of COVID-19 in Yukon have been in Whitehorse, and related to travel outside of the territory. None of the people who tested positive have required medical care.

"I think that puts us in good shape for taking a breather this weekend," Hanley said of the latest numbers.

That doesn't mean the territory will relaxprotective measures, though.

Hanley, along withPremier Sandy Silver, urged Yukonerson Friday to continue to observe all public health orders and self-isolate as much as possible, until further notice.

"I need every single Yukoner to take this incredibly seriously," said Silver.

"Staying home will literally save lives."

On Thursday, the territorial governmentannounced that all public health orders related to COVID-19 are now enforceable by law. Those orders include, among other things,mandatory 14-day self-isolation on arrival in Yukon, no gatherings of more than 10 people, and the closure of all bars.

Violating orders can mean fines up to $500, or jail time up to six months.

As of Friday, 753 Yukoners had been tested for COVID-19, and results were pending on 53 of those cases.