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Recreation Information

Updated Dec 3, 2021

On November 8, 2021, the Government of Yukon declared a State of Emergency. This declaration allows for new temporary measures recommended by the acting Chief Medical Officer of Health to rapidly decrease the transmission of COVID-19 and ensure the territory’s healthcare capacity is not overwhelmed.

Three new Ministerial Orders under the Civil Emergency Measures Act came into effect on November 13, 2021.

All sport and recreation organizations must follow the orders that apply to them. The state of emergency is in place until at least December 3, 2021. The following is a summary of parts of the orders that apply to sport and recreation organizations. It is recommended that you read the orders in its entirety.

Mandatory Masking

  • Mandatory masking is required in all indoor public settings and in outdoor public settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained. Mask use is required in vehicles when there are occupants from more than one household.
  • Participants in high intensity physical activities which cannot reasonably be done while wearing a mask are exempt from the mandatory masking requirement. For example, for curling or low intensity exercise classes, masks need to be worn but not for hockey, soccer, or basketball. Masks do need to be worn when not actively engaged in playing the sport (i.e., on the bench or sidelines, dressing rooms etc.).

Gathering Limits

Sports for people 12 years of age or older

Organized sports can continue if the following requirements are met:

Capacity: A limit of 50% occupancy for that space (including spectators)
Proof of vaccination: See proof of vaccination section below
Mask wearing: Yes

Proof of Vaccination Requirements

Proof of vaccination is now required to access designated settings. The list of designated settings is available here. Proof of vaccination is no longer required for sport and recreation activities for those under 19 years of age.

  • The proof of vaccination applies to organized sports and events hosted in a school gym.
  • The proof of vaccination does not apply to:
    • Indoor youth recreational programs for children 11 years old or younger.
    • Before and after school programs for K to grade 12 students.
    • Student events and activities in K to grade 12 in public and independent schools.

A person must provide proof of vaccination either outside the designated setting or immediately upon entering. The requirement to be vaccinated will not apply to staff of designated settings while they are in a designated setting for work purposes.

Limited exemptions to the proof of vaccination requirement include:

  • Individuals under the age of 19 are exempt from the proof of vaccination requirements along with one parent who may be required to accompany a child under the age of 12 to that child’s recreational or sporting activity.
  • Individuals with a medical deferral issued by a physician or nurse practitioner.

The onus for verifying proof of vaccination is placed on the person responsible for the setting (owner or operator or person responsible for the event). It is an enforceable offence to allow entry to unvaccinated individuals or to not verify their vaccination status.

The Yukon government app is available that can verify QR codes on government-issued proof of vaccination certificates (PVCs), operators can also check PVCs visually, either in paper form or in electronic form. The app can be downloaded here

Yukoners will be permitted to use the Record of Vaccination card they received when they were immunized until November 30, 2021. As of December 1, 2021, only government-issued PVCs will be accepted as proof of vaccination to access designated settings.

Verifier must check that name and date of birth on PVC is same as on ID. For those over 18, a photo ID is required.

It is an enforceable offence for an unvaccinated individual to be present in a designated setting without being exempted from the requirement.

 

 

 

 

Exemptions

  • Participants will need to show a form filled out and signed by a physician or nurse practitioner to prove they are exempt.
  • This document must confirm that they have a medical reason to defer vaccination.
  • It’s important to know that there are very limited medical reasons why someone may be advised to not get vaccinated.

Asking for Proof of Vaccination

Program leaders, organizations, etc., have the legal right to ask for proof of vaccination? How do organizations inquire without infringing on privacy?

Legal authority to ask for proof of vaccination was given under Ministerial Order 2021-47. This Order applies to, and authorizes, the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information for the purposes of administering and enforcing this Order despite the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Are Organizations able to record proof of vaccination (POV) so they don’t need to ask athletes/coaches each time they come?

You may ask a person for their written consent to keep their name on a list so that they do not need to show their PVC every time. The person must be told they can withdraw their consent at any time and their name will be removed from the list. (MINISTERIAL ORDER 2021/47).

Sample Consent Form can be found at the end of this document.

The list:

  • must be securely stored.
  • must not be shared with anyone who does not need access to it; and
  • must be destroyed when the state of emergency is over.

The proof of vaccination credential was designed to protect people’s privacy.

  • The credential only contains the minimum amount of information to verify people’s COVID-19 vaccination status.
  • The proof of vaccination credential does not link to any other records.
 

 

Consent form for recording vaccination status consent

 

 

Businesses and organizations may ask individuals to complete this form to give their consent  that the organization may keep a record of the fact that the individual has provided valid proof of vaccination in compliance with Yukon Ministerial Order 2021/47 (the “Order”), section 7. Organizations must not require individuals to give their consent. If individuals do not give consent, organizations cannot keep a record of the fact that the individual provided (or did not provide) valid proof of vaccination in accordance with the Order, section 7.

 

CONSENT

 

 I, ____________________________________________________________, hereby give

______________________________________________  (name of organization) business/organization permission keep a record of the fact that I have provided valid proof of vaccination in compliance with the Order, section 7.

 

This record will be used solely for the purpose of determining and verifying my eligibility to access and/or participate in nonessential services and activities in accordance with the COVID-19 Protocol for proof of full vaccination for events and activities set out in the Order, only until the Order expires or is repealed, and will not be otherwise collected, used or disclosed.

 

I understand that, if I wish to withdraw this authorization, I may do so at any time by writing to the business/organization.

 

I have read and understood this form, and I have had the opportunity to ask questions and have had them answered to my satisfaction.

 

By signing below, I consent to these terms.

 

 

Name:__________________________              _____________________________

(Please print)                                           (Signature)

 

 

Name of CHILD: ___________________________________ (if providing consent for a minor)

 

 

Address: ___________________________________________

 

 

Date: ___________________________________________

 

 

 

 

FOR ORGANIZATIONS ONLY – Your organizations needs to get consent to keep a record If you want to keep a record that the person has shown their proof of vaccination, you need to get their consent. It is best to get their consent in writing. If they give consent, you are allowed to keep a record of the fact that they have shown their proof of vaccination. This may mean that they do not need to show their proof every time they come to your business or organization – you can just refer to your records. If they do not give consent, you cannot keep any record about their vaccination status. That means you cannot put them on a list of people who have shown their proof of vaccination. You cannot put a checkmark or symbol by their name on a paper or electronic list. You cannot keep a list of people who have not shown proof. Unless you have a method of keeping track that does not identify a person’s vaccination status, you will need to see their proof every time they come to your business or organization.