'Cluster investigation' reveals 5th case of COVID-19 in Yukon, officials say

Yukon's chief medical officer says there is afifth confirmed case of COVID-19 in the territory. Dr. Brendan Hanley said the test results came back on Saturday.

He saidthe fifth case is related to a "cluster investigation." Four of Yukon's five cases are considered part of a single cluster, he said, which health researchers typically define as an unexpectedly high number ofrelated cases in a place and time.

"We may yet see another one or two cases related to these clusters, but we have also received a number of negative results," Hanley said.

Hanley said all of the five peoplediagnosed so far in Yukon are "doing well," and have not had to seek health care.

As of Monday, 688Yukoners had been tested for COVID-19, and results from 90of those tests were still pending.

Watch Monday's news conference here:

Last week, health officials named two places in Whitehorse a church and a dental clinic where a person or people later confirmed to have COVID-19 attended on certain days this month. Others who attended those places on those dates were asked to monitor themselves for symptoms.

Hanley said on Monday that notice prompted many people to seek testing, but none of themtested positive.

Quebec couple who came to Yukon 'misguided'

Hanley also spoke at Monday's news briefing about the Quebec couple that arrivedinOld Crow, Yukon, a few days ago apparently seeking refuge from the pandemic.

The chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation in Old Crow said the couple "endangered" his community.Theywere escorted back to the airport two days later by RCMP, and put on a plane back to Whitehorse.

Hanleycalledthe Quebec couple's misadventure "a very human story," and said they won't be prosecuted.

"These people, though misguided, did not contravene any order. They're now being given, or have been given, appropriate guidance so that they can better play their role in preventing COVID-19," Hanley said.

He wouldn't say where the couple is now, but said they're "safely in self-isolation."