First two cases of coronavirus confirmed in Yukon

On Sunday, Brendan Hanley, Yukon’s chief medical officer noted that a couple in Whitehorse tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a convention in the United States. The couple were later notified about a case of coronavirus at the event according to CBC News.

The couple began to experience symptoms when they returned home and Hanley said they did everything correctly. The couple isolated themselves and asked for medical advice.

The couple were tested after developing symptoms and the results came back on Sunday.

“They're meticulously following public health advice, and they were from the beginning,” said Hanley.

Hanley noted that both of the cases are mild and the individuals are still in good condition. While they continue to self-isolate, officials are attempting to find out who they could have made contact with since their return.

The government's website showed that 418 tests for coronavirus had been given as of Sunday in Yukon, and 172 of the tests are still awaiting results.

On Sunday, new measures were put into place by Hanley and his team to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

He recommended a suspension of non-essential travel to and from the territory as well as a recommended self-isolation for those returning to Yukon in the next 30 days.

Bars will be closed until further notice and restaurants will have to drop their capacity by half. Many other businesses have to be closed down completely.

The territory has also banned gatherings of over 10 people.

Hanley noted that these announcements had already been planned for Monday before the two cases were confirmed.

When speaking at Sunday’s news conference, Premier Sandy Silver called the cases “troubling, but not unexpected.”

When referring to the couple, Silver said, “By following the guidelines of self-isolation, they reduced the spread of the virus.”

“Now it is on us, each and every one of us as Yukoners, to take this situation even more seriously.”

Yukon's confirmed cases leaves Nunavut as the only province, territory, or state in the US or Canada without a confirmed case of coronavirus.