Yukon health officer reports first COVID-19 death

WHITEHORSE — Yukon has reported its first death from COVID-19 after an outbreak in the small community of Watson Lake.

Chief medical health officer Dr. Brendan Hanley says the person who died was “older” and had underlying health conditions.

The person died at home on Thursday after showing signs of recovery about two weeks after being infected. 

Hanley says the death is a reminder of how serious and infectious COVID-19 can be. 

The person who died lived in Watson Lake, where an outbreak of the virus infected five people. 

Hanley says 53 people have been tested in Watson Lake, a large proportion of the community of about 800.

Twenty-three people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Yukon since the pandemic began in March. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2020.

The Canadian Press