COVID-19 cases in Yukon schools may have dropped, but numbers sketchy, gov't admits

New figures appear to show the number of COVID-19 cases in Yukon schools dropped as fall turned to winter.

But by the government's own admission, data collection between November and February may be spotty.

According to data obtained by CBC News through an access to information request, there were 149 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Yukon school system between mid-November and Feb. 1. Of those, 107 cases were among students, and 42 were among staff.

Whitehorse Elementary School reported 12 student cases during that timeframe. Teslin Elementary reported 10 student cases. All other figures are suppressed because the health department claims releasing figures lower than 10 could compromise privacy. 

Whitehorse Elementary School and Teslin Elementary both recorded fewer than 10 staff cases. Fifteen Yukon schools reported student and staff case counts of fewer than 10 per category.

Seven other schools reported fewer than 10 student cases and no staff cases. Four more schools reported fewer than 10 staff cases and zero student cases. 

The 149 cases compare with 154 confirmed cases in schools recorded between the start of the school year and mid-November.

But the picture painted by the data may be incomplete. In its response, the health department wrote that the figures "should be interpreted with caution for a variety of reasons."

That's because on Jan. 5 health officials changed their recommendations for who should get a PCR lab test. The new guidelines suggested that otherwise healthy people with COVID-like symptoms should simply assume they have the disease and self-isolate.

Then, on Jan. 17, officials stopped issuing exposure notices in the territory's schools.

A third factor was a major spike in COVID-19 cases after Christmas, including 130 positive cases reported in a single day, Jan. 10. All told, there were more than 2,000 positive cases in the Yukon between mid-November and the start of February.

"With widespread community transmission of a disease, it is standard practice to shift from tracing and containment strategies, to management of high-priority cases (such as those at highest risk for severe disease)," the government response read.

"Due to a high caseload volume for the specified time period, collection of this information varied based on public health priorities."

But even before those changes, health officials made it difficult for the public to get a clear picture of the COVID-19 situation in the territory's schools. Politicians, health officials and communications staff all refused to respond to multiple requests for the data.