COVID-19 case identified at Whitehorse elementary school, new exposures issued

A second person linked to a class at Whitehorse Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a letter from public health officials in Yukon on Saturday.

Yukon Communicable Disease Control said the case is linked to the Grade 5b class at the school. A COVID-19 case connected to the same class was announced last week Tuesday.

In its Saturday letter, public health said students and staff connected to the class who attended school on Tuesday are close contacts of the COVID-19 case.

Those close contacts are being told to monitor themselves for symptoms if they were fully vaccinated before Sept. 28, and to isolate and arrange for testing if symptoms develop.

Contacts that are either partially or unvaccinated — and those who are fully vaccinated but who have "significant immunosuppression" — are being told to isolate up to, and including Oct. 22. and to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for four days afterwards.

In its letter, public health said students and parents may receive multiple exposure notices for different events.

"If you have received different dates for the duration of your self-isolation or self-monitoring, then use the latest date (longest duration)," the letter said.

On Friday, Yukon's acting Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Catherine Elliot, declared an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Grade 4 class at Elijah Smith Elementary School. Public health said it was the third school outbreak reported in the past month.

Exposure notices

Public health also issued new COVID-19 exposure notices on Sunday for a cafe, a restaurant and a celebration of life in Whitehorse.

The exposures happened at the Burnt Toast Cafe on Oct. 7 and Oct. 8, at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre Longhouse on Oct. 9, and at the Legends Smokehouse & Grill at the Yukon Inn on Oct. 5, Oct. 6 and Oct. 9.

Those impacted by the exposures are told to monitor for symptoms for 14 days, regardless of vaccination status.