Some Yukoners waited hours in lineup at Whitehorse COVID-19 drive-thru testing centre

Not everyone needs to get tested for COVID-19 in Yukon, officials said Wednesday, but that hasn't stopped the long lineups at Whitehorse's drive-thru testing site.

This week, a long line of cars waited by the testing centre off the Alaska Highway. On Wednesday afternoon, a lineup of cars stretched about two city blocks at one point.

COVID-19 testing capabilities are being strained right across Canada, and Premier Sandy Silver said during a Wednesday news conference that in Yukon, it's no different.

"Again, exacerbating that is the cold temperatures as well. So we do recognize that there is a strain on the testing," Silver said. 

Extreme cold weather warnings have been issued in parts of the territory this week, with temperatures dropping to -42 C in Whitehorse on Wednesday. Even then, people lined up in their vehicles, waiting for their turn at a drive-through testing centre.

Among those waiting were Diane Nadina and her family, who waited in their car for about seven hours on Tuesday. Nadina said they got in line around 10:30 a.m. and didn't leave until 5:30 p.m.

She said she watched movies and even at one point fell asleep in the car while waiting her turn.

Nadina thinks the government should either start handing out rapid tests to people or open a second testing site.

The surge in testing comes as the territory reported a record-high number of known active cases — 325. Elliott said Wednesday there are many other cases undiagnosed throughout the territory, where the positivity rate sits at about 35 per cent.

Previously, and throughout much of the pandemic, officials had been urging anyone with symptoms to get tested. But now, Elliott said those with strong immunity, such as people who are fully vaccinated, don't need to be tested anymore. If they have symptoms, they can assume they have COVID-19 and self-isolate at home for seven days.

She said people who need to be tested are those at risk of serious illness along with people who work with vulnerable populations. 

"With community transmission of Omicron and exposures possible in many places, we're at the point that you can safely assume you have COVID if you have symptoms, and most people won't need a test," she said.

Meanwhile when it comes to the long lineups for the testing centre in Whitehorse, NDP leader Kate White said it's possible some people who attempted to wait in line "probably" didn't make it into the testing centre before it would have closed for the day.

"So, is there a way to streamline that process? Can documents that need to be filled out be handed out to cars as they wait?" she said. "Is it possible to put up a sign that says, you know, from this point forward, it's still a two-hour wait?"