Hundreds of Yukoners have used the government-funded voluntary self-isolation facilities in the territory, according to the Yukon’s department of Health and Social Services.
In total, 2,458 Yukoners have been put up in self-isolation facilities since the beginning of the pandemic, COVID-19 communications manager Samantha Henney said in an Aug. 9 email.
Yukon residents do not need to test positive for COVID-19 in order to request a stay.
In a February press release, the federal government announced it was providing just over $4 million to the Yukon government to run two sites with a total of 25 rooms in Whitehorse and Watson Lake. That money was spent in the last fiscal year to support the creation and operation of safe, voluntary self-isolation sites in the territory, Henney said.
The News has requested the total spending on self-isolation facilities from the Yukon government, but did not hear back by press deadline.
There is one remaining location for self-isolation rooms at the Yukon Inn in Whitehorse.
“We also work with First Nations governments and other partners to support Yukoners in the communities in need of assistance wherever possible,” Henney said.
“The need for self-isolation supports fluctuates frequently, so we are unable to provide how many people are currently using the facilities.”
Henney said there have been periods of time in which call volumes were high, but that is currently not the case.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
