Skip to content

Today’s mailbox: border opening and Yukon Party texts

Dear Premier Sandy Silver and Dr Hanley,
25094545_web1_210407_YKN_insight_letters-wb_1

Dear Premier Sandy Silver and Dr Hanley,

Once again I’m disheartened and disappointed with your COVID-19 management plan to blindly forge ahead with opening up the Yukon much too fast and too soon.

The Yukon plans to open up internally (full capacity in bars/restaurants — impossible to adhere to safe 6 + mask precautions) plus for “fully vaccinated Canadians” entering from anywhere in Canada (yes, even persons from the many out of control outbreak/community spread areas -fully vaccinated defined differently across Canada) - all at the same time.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world, including Canada, is closing up at and within their borders due to skyrocketing outbreaks which are challenging their health care systems/facilities/resources — largely due to opening up too much too fast, while closing back down too little too late. Even those provinces/territories taking a precautionary approach are finding the virus winning in at a fast pace once getting even a toenail in the door.

According to a recent CBC interview with a front line doctor in Calgary, they are seeing more young populations affected by this present wave, even school-aged children who cannot be immunized but are also spreading the virus and becoming sicker, longer — a consistent trend all over. While Yukon may have what’s considered a high overall vaccination rate, children are still omitted from protection while highly vulnerable. This doctor also has other wise words Yukon would do well to heed.

The Yukon’s redneck approach making us experimental guinea pigs, simply makes no sense. Slow and steady is only reasonable and prudent, but once again it seems money talks.

Some important questions I haven’t found addressed yet in your plan include:

  • Will the safe 6 + mask precautions also be suspended or remain in effect? How would this look and be enforced (given that full capacity being allowed in bars/restaurants)? Up to now it’s been drilled into us that these precautions are our lifeline to keeping us and others safe, even while the border has stayed closed with self isolation requirements in place for everyone entering into Yukon. Confusing mixed messaging!
  • How will Yukoners know which persons/visitors in Yukon meet the Yukon travel requirements/restrictions? Because Yukoners want to keep everyone safe, we will want to know whom to report for possible infractions which we all know will inevitably occur.
  • What about families that may be entering or returning to Yukon from elsewhere in Canada (inevitably including hot spots) with children who may not meet the required immunized status (due to vaccine age restrictions)? What would the 14-day isolation requirements be in such cases?
  • What would be considered “fully vaccinated” given that across the country the vaccination protocals are very varied?
  • There have been reports by various medical professionals elsewhere in Canada that phony immunization reports have already surfaced. How will the validity of individual records be determined — this could potentially take some time — even days coming from outside Yukon, also considering weekends and holidays (different across Canada). Also how would the phony ones definitely be intercepted?
  • What would it take to close our border and reinstate the 14-day self isolation requirement upon entering/returning to the Yukon? By now everyone knows that the virus with its variants are very unforgiving and spread like wild fire.

There is also a lot of mixed messaging throughout the reported plan.

Up to now I’ve been very proud of where Yukon sits and how it has been managing the importation/transmission of COVID-19 in recent times — especially keeping our borders closed. Now I’m gobsmacked at the redneck attitude and turnaround approach of Yukon experts and government. I suggest the plan has not been well thought out and it’s simply too soon to experiment with an immunization passport.

Respectfully,

Liz Reichenbach,

Yukon Resident

Dear Currie,

If you ever, ever hoped to solicit a 45-year resident of the Yukon into supporting the Yukon Party, you just lost it.

Supporting Wade istchenko, my MLA for Klunae, does not cut it.

For your party to support lateral violence is to throw yourself under the bus so to speak. Wake up, we live in modern times, and I am totally ashamed at your enabellign of Wade’s behaviour.

I will ensure that the press and all Yukoners know of my opinion. Any elected official who enables this conduct is not to be trusted! This is not a political issue but one of ethics and decorum,

Kate Moylan

Degrading language

Unfortunately the language and vitriol of Donald Trump is alive and well in Yukon, in the conservative-based party known as the Yukon Party.

The only thing that they have managed to do is denigrate the leader of their own party who will forever after be referred to as “Duramax Dixon” when he does something that is not acceptable to some segment of the electorate! Well done chat line chatterers.

Ken Gabb

Whitehorse