Full-time school for some grades, larger social bubbles as Yukon to ease COVID rules

Yukon Premier Sandy Silver says, with no new cases of COVID-19 in his territory for another week, his government is ready to revise some of the restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.

Speaking at a news conference this morning, Silver says full-time, in-class learning will begin next month for Grades 10 to 12, while universities are expected to return to face-to-face learning by September.

Decisions about increasing the number of social contacts are also expected this spring or summer, although exact details will depend on immunization levels that health officials hope will soon reach 75 per cent in the territory.

To date, more than 24,000 doses of Moderna vaccine have been administered in Yukon, a rate Silver says leads the country, and the government website says 8,840 of those shots are second doses.

Silver says planned changes will also depend on COVID-19 case counts continuing to drop across the country while vaccination rates rise in Yukon and its neighbouring jurisdictions.