August 9 COVID-19 Update

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Current COVID-19 Situation in Ross River  

Ross River Dena Council advises all community members that as of 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 9, 2021 there is a new confirmed case of COVID-19 in Ross River, increasing the number of active cases involving members of our community to three.

Two of the cases are now self-isolating in Whitehorse and one case is self-isolating in Ross River. Contact tracing is under way.

Contact tracing is organized by Yukon Communicable Disease Control (YCDC) in Whitehorse and involves reaching out to those who were in direct contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. If you are contacted, a representative of YCDC will play an instrumental role to guide you on next steps and will offer important advice and support for your situation.

In addition to the new case, Council continues to reach out to community members who may have been exposed to an individual who tested positive late last week. Anyone who may have visited with this community member while he was in self-isolation is asked to please call the Health Centre for guidance and to self-monitor for symptoms.

Symptoms include:  

  • Fever/chills 
  • Cough 
  • Shortness of breath 
  • Runny nose 
  • Sore throat 
  • Headache 
  • Loss of sense of taste or smell 
  • Fatigue 
  • Nausea and vomiting 
  • Loss of appetite 
  • Diarrhea 
  • Muscle aches 

If you experience any of these symptoms please self-isolate immediately and contact the Health Centre at 969-4444 to arrange for a COVID-19 test.

Extra Precautions This Week

With COVID-19 still present in our community, Council is asking all community members to please take extra precautions this week. Let’s work together to help protect our elders, our families and the most vulnerable members of our community.

While in Ross River please:

  • Wear a mask;
  • Wash your hands;
  • Stay six feet apart;
  • Do not participate in gatherings;
  • Do not visit with others; and
  • Self-isolate after travel if unvaccinated.

How to Report High-Risk Behaviour

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in rural Yukon, Council is asking all community members and all Yukoners to please be on the lookout for high-risk behaviour and to report individuals who are not following the Civil Emergency Measures Act by calling (867) 393-6210 or by filling out the online form.

High-risk behaviour consists of any activity that is not in accordance with current COVID-19 guidelines and/or the current safety measures put in place by Council to help keep Ross River safe. 

Examples of high-risk behaviour include:

  • Not following the Safe 6+1;
  • Participating in social gatherings that are outside of your bubble and involve more than six people;
  • Travelling to and from other communities for non-essential purposes;
  • Not wearing a mask while in close proximity to others;
  • Overcrowded vehicles and passengers are not wearing masks to protect one another; and
  • Visiting houses even when there is a sign on the door that says no visitors.

Vaccination Clinic at Ross River School This Thursday

Adults (18+)

A vaccination clinic for Adults (18+) will be held on Thursday, August 12 from 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Ross River School. For more information or to book an appointment call the Ross River Health Centre at 969-4444. Walk-ins are also accepted.

Youth (ages 12-17)

A vaccination clinic for Youth (ages 12-17) will be held on Thursday, August 12 from 1:30 – 5:00 p.m. at Ross River School. Youth vaccinations are also available in Whitehorse. To book an appointment, please visit the online booking system here. Walk-ins are also accepted.

Continue to Wear A Mask In Ross River

As of July 30, Ross River continues to have the lowest vaccination rate in Yukon, with less than 45% of our population fully vaccinated, and 11% partially vaccinated. In addition, there are multiple neighbouring communities with positive cases, and COVID-19 is also present in Ross River.

Reaching the 50% mark will mean our community has some protection, however a number of essential safety measures that help protect communities are no longer in place today, which means Ross River community members must be extra careful about travelling, and safety measures in the community must remain in place longer than in other communities.

Yukon’s overall vaccination rate does offer some protection to our community, and helps to lower the risk of transmission to some degree, but we ask that everyone continue to wear a mask primarily because 50% of our population is still very vulnerable to getting COVID-19, and masks wearing can help protect you and your family from this infection.

Travel Advisory – Do Not Visit Ross River At This Time

We can all help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by following travel advisories that have been put in place by Yukon First Nations and municipalities.

With the current outbreak impacting families in Watson Lake, Carmacks and Faro, Council is asking Yukoners and travellers from outside of the territory to please continue to respect the travel advisory for Ross River, which reads as follows:   

  • NO VISITORS – Please do not visit Ross River at this time;  
  • ROSS RIVER CITIZENS: ESSENTIAL TRAVEL ONLY – Ross River citizens are asked to respect all travel advisories currently in effect and to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our neighbouring communities of Watson Lake, Faro and Carmacks. Please refrain from travelling to these communities unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e. for medical reasons) 

Please visit the Council of Yukon First Nations website for more information about current travel advisories.

Current Risk Level 5 (Extreme)  

As of July 30, Ross River continues to have the lowest vaccination rate in Yukon, with approximately 45% of our population now fully vaccinated. In addition, there are multiple neighbouring communities with positive cases, and COVID-19 is also present in Ross River. For this reason, the current COVID-19 Risk Level for Ross River remains at Level 5 (Extreme) and the following COVID-19 safety measures remain in effect:  

  • The Dena General Store will be closed to the public, however community members can place an order for pickup or delivery of groceries to your door – please call 969-2280 and/or send an email to dena.general@northwestel.net to place your order; 
  • The Dena General Store will now be closed on Sundays and Tuesdays for cleaning and other necessary measures; 
  • Tu-Lidlini Petroleum advises that the gas station will have reduced hours from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. until further notice and that customers are strongly encouraged to use the Cardlock system to pay for fuel; 
  • Banking services will be available at the Dena General Store on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – services are provided at the door, as the store is currently closed to the public. 
  • The following travel advisory is now in effect:  
    • NO VISITORS – Please do not visit Ross River at this time;  
    • ROSS RIVER CITIZENS: ESSENTIAL TRAVEL ONLY – Ross River citizens are asked to respect all travel advisories currently in effect and to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our neighbouring communities of Watson Lake, Faro and Carmacks. Please refrain from travelling to these communities unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e. for medical reasons) Ross River Dena Council offices will remain closed to the public until further notice; 
  • Ross River Dena Council employees are now in the first phase of a three-phase Re-Opening Plan, which allows access to up to three staff members into RRDC buildings at one time; Ross River Dena Council will continue to engage with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Department of Health and Social Services and the COVID Response Unit to help strengthen community-level support. 

These measures were introduced in response to the outbreak in Whitehorse and the presence of COVID-19 in multiple communities, including Ross River. Council continues to work with territorial health authorities and our neighbouring communities to monitor the situation and takes this matter very seriously. 

Other COVID-19 Considerations

Here are some additional considerations and resources to help keep Ross River safe:

  • If you or someone you know had really mild symptoms and recently tested negative for COVID-19 this is good news, however it is not the end of the story. If symptoms get worse in the days (and weeks) following a test, it’s a good idea to self-isolate and call the Health Centre at 969-4444 to arrange for another test – when it comes to COVID-19, it’s way better to be safe than sorry;
  • For the latest COVID-19 Self-Isolation Guidelines: https://yukon.ca/en/self-isolation-covid-19;
  • If you see someone who was known to be self-isolating but may not be following the current the self-isolation guidelines, you can report this activity here;
  • If you live with others and are not able to self-isolate, please inform the Health Centre or Ross River Dena Council and efforts will be made to arrange for temporary self-isolation options; and
  • Anyone seeking mental health and wellness support are encouraged to call the LifeWorks Crisis Support Line at 1-844-751-2133 (open 24 hours, 7 days a week) or call (867) 332-5468 to reach the Mental Health, Counselling and Crisis Support Line for Ross River, Pelly Crossing, Carmacks and Faro citizens.

Volunteers Needed

Ross River Dena Council has established the RRDC COVID-19 Action Plan Working Group to advise Council and help coordinate COVID-19 community outreach and support efforts during an unprecedented public health emergency. For more information about the Working Group or if you would like to volunteer and help make a difference, please send an email to the Working Group Co-Chairs Verna Nukon at vernanukon@gmail.com and/or Dylan Loblaw at dylanloblaw@gmail.com. You can also reach us by calling the Ross River COVID-19 Support Line at 747-0099 at any time. 

Thank you,

Ross River Dena Council