Yukon reports 3rd COVID-19 death, announces new case at elementary school

Yukon's acting chief medical officerof health,Dr. Catherine Elliott, reported the territory's third COVID-19 death on Monday.

"The Whitehorse resident was linked to a previous case and was unvaccinated," reads the short news release from the Yukon government.

The government also said that a student atElijah Smith Elementary School in Whitehorse has COVID-19, and parents are being notified.

It was one of five cases announced on Monday, two of which are out-of-territory residents.The government says itexpects all new cases will be confirmed as the gamma variant.

As of Monday, Yukon had 107 known cases of COVID-19, 21 of which were active.

The territory's first COVID-19-related death, a Watson Lake resident, was recorded in October 2020, back when Yukon's case count was in the 20s. It wasalso the North'sfirst reported death related to COVID-19.

In April 2021, the government announceda second death, Yukon's 81st case of COVID-19.

In a news release issued then, Yukon's chief medical officer said the person's death was caused by "unrelated health conditions." Because the person had COVID-19 near the time of their death, it is "considered a COVID-19 associated death."

Eighty per cent of eligible adult Yukoners have had a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 72 per cent have had two doses.

Unlike in many parts of Canada, all residents 18 and older in the territory have had access to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for several months.

Vaccinations for people between 12 and 17 years of age started in Yukon on May 31.