'Things are getting better,' says premier as Yukon's state of emergency is set to end

Yukon is set to lift its state of emergency in two weeks, as the territory's COVID-19 case countdecreases and no new outbreaks are reported.

"Things are getting better," said Premier Sandy Silver at a news conference on Wednesday morning.

Silver announced two new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, and said the active case count was then at 45.

He described the territory's wave of infections that began in June as "stabilizing."

Government officials said that means the territory's state of emergency first introduced in March 2020 and then renewed every few months since will be allowed to expire on Aug. 25.

Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn, also speaking on Wednesday, said that means there will be no more enforcement of public health rules under the Civil Emergency Measures Act (CEMA).

But he urged people to continue to be safe, by following rules on gathering sizes and wearing masks when it makes sense to do so.

"The only thing ending, really, is the enforcement. But society still has a responsibility to do what they have demonstrated they know is right," Mostyn said.

"For the most part, life will resume to where it was prior to the pandemic, with people taking personal responsibility for their health."

As of Monday afternoon, 81 per cent of adult Yukoners and 67 per cent of those aged 12 to 17 were fully vaccinated, while 87 per cent of adults and 76 per cent of youth had received their first shot.

Watch Wednesday's news conference here:

Wednesday's news conference was unusual in that there was no medical official on hand,alongside government officials.

On Tuesday,the territory's chief medical officer long a fixture at the weekly updates announced he was taking a leave of absence in order to run for Parliament as a Liberal candidate.

Starting next week, deputy chief medical officer Dr. Catherine Elliott will takeover as the territory's top doctor.

Silver described Elliott as an "amazing alternative" who has often filled in when the chief medical officer was away such as in March 2020, when the decision was madeto cancel the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse.

Elliott has often given "extremely difficult but bang-on advice," Silver said. He said the office of the chief medical officer is also staffed by a team that's done"impeccable"work through the pandemic.