Yukon government won't publicly release community-specific vaccination rates yet

The Yukon government says it won'tpublicly release the specific numbers of people vaccinated againstCOVID-19 in each community just yet.

Premier Sandy Silver said during a Wednesday news conference on COVID-19 thatthe territory does notwant communities "pitted" against one another and "havingeverybody speculating or pointing fingers."

"I don't think that that's going to necessarily help the safety of Yukoners," Silver said.

In the firstsweep through the communities for vaccine clinics, there was about a 53 per cent uptake, Silver says. In the second round, he says more people cameforward for first time doses.

Silver says any numbers on the vaccination participation rate in eachcommunity will be left to local leadersto disclose.

"My extreme respect and gratitude goes out to chiefs and councils and mayors and councils that have been helping us in every community to maximize those numbers. We will leave it to them to do what they need to do," he said.

"We will continue to update the numbers for the averages for rural Yukon."

Chief Medical Officer of Health Doctor Brendan Hanley says the government is still gathering cumulative numbers on the vaccine rate in the communities.

More charges laid, state of emergency extended

There have been four new charges laid in Yukon relating to people not following COVID-19 measures.

Two of the charges are for failure to issue a declaration upon entry into the Yukon, one wasfor failure to self-isolate and another wasfor failing to wear a mask.

There are no active COVID-19 cases in Yukon.

"This is very comforting news," Silver said.

The territory has had 72 cases in total, with 71 recovered and one death.

Vaccine delivery

Silver says a large shipment of doses were received in the territory last week.On Monday,Whitehorse became thefirst capital city in Canada to openits COVID-19 vaccination clinic to all citizensaged 18 and older.

He says Yukon has had a greater per capita rate of people getting the shotthan most other jurisdictions in Canada.

As of Tuesday, there had been 11,503 first doses given and 5,665 second doses given in the territory.

Silver says the vaccine is the pathway out of this pandemic, "but it will take time."

The territory's state of emergency was extended again, which Silver says allows the territory to enforce border controls and other restrictions.

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No timeline for easing restrictions

Hanley is set to get a shot later this afternoon.

He says the closer the territorygets to the targeted number of peoplevaccinated in Yukon (75 per cent of adult population), the more confident he will beto ease up on restrictions. He says that will happen when it's safe but did not say when.

Eventually, he says that would includeexpandingceremonies like funerals and weddings.

He says it's important for Yukoners to try to get their vaccines before variants of COVID-19 which he says are a "real" threat make their way into the territory, though he says for now, "we are in a good place."

"I know we're all becoming tired and sometimes maybe dismissive of the public health measures in place," Hanley said.

"Our efforts continue to pay off."