WHITEHORSE -- Masks won't have to be worn at indoor public spaces nor will proof of COVID-19 vaccination be required in Yukon starting on March 18.
But Premier Sandy Silver said private businesses will be able to continue asking customers to abide by previous masking and vaccination mandates. He said he will continue to wear a mask in public.
The government also plans to lift its vaccination mandate for public service employees in the coming weeks, he said.
"As the territory's largest employer, the government of Yukon has a duty to lead by example and do our part to keep Yukoners safe," he told a news conference on Wednesday. "This vaccination requirement has been very effective in minimizing the spread of COVID-19 in our workplace and ensuring continuity of service delivery."
He added that about 95 per cent of public service employees said they were fully vaccinated as of Feb. 15.
Silver said if things continue to go well in the coming weeks, many employees who have not given their vaccination status will be able to return to work on April 4. Silver said government officials were still evaluating how to manage unvaccinated workers in some settings.
The Civil Emergencies Act could also be lifted if the territory makes enough progress in managing COVID-19 in the next two weeks, Silver said.
Acting chief medical officer of health Dr. Catherine Elliott said people should be patient as businesses adapt to the changing mask rules.
Elliott said there were 43 active COVID-19 cases and four new cases reported on Wednesday.
The territory has focused on keeping the health-care system from being overwhelmed by cases, particularly when the Omicron and Delta variants struck, she said.
"We got out early, we were proactive in this wave," she said. "We never locked down. We kept businesses open, we kept schools open and we each did our part by minimizing the number of contacts we had."
— By Nick Wells in Vancouver
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2022.
