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Following an announcement by the Yukon Government last Friday, the Yukon Quest will be requiring vaccinations for mushers, volunteers, race officials, and the vet team.

The Quest is running 100 and 300 mile races this year on the Yukon side starting on Feb. 19, 2022. On the Alaskan side, 220 and 550 mile races are off and running on Feb. 5, 2022.

Susie Rogan, president of the Quest on the Yukon side, explains how the COVID-19 plan for the race will work.

鈥淲e are required to have a COVID plan and we are working on our COVID plan, which will be finalized in November, but it will be open for adjustment right up to the race start based on the guidance of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

鈥淎ll our board members, our staff, our vet team, and our race officials are already vaccinated, which is where we stand on the issue. We have no choice 鈥� the Yukon Quest this year has 14 signups on the Yukon side and 18 signups on the Alaskan side, so that鈥檚 a total of 32 mushers for the Yukon Quest. We did split it into two races, COVID being one of the reasons. We鈥檙e not 100 percent sure what the status of the border鈥檚 going to be when the time comes and we just needed to get planning, so that was one of the big reasons we split it in two.

鈥淭he other one was that we did a survey and we had well over 100 responses and 鈥� not very many people were in a position to run a 1,000 mile race this year because their tour businesses were shut down, their jobs were shut down, they just can鈥檛 afford it. We can still have fun and put on a good event and try out our ideas.鈥�

According to Rogan, it costs about $20,000 minimum to run the Quest.

She emphasized that there are two separate entities involved in the race.

鈥淚 can only address what we鈥檙e doing on the Yukon side, because it is two separate 鈥� we鈥檙e organizing independently, we do have meetings where we鈥檙e in touch with each other and we do have a Yukon Cup. People come over from Alaska to run the Yukon Cup. They do have to be vaccinated.

鈥淲e have sent out an email to all our signups on the Yukon side to see whether or not they are already vaccinated. We actually believe they probably are, just looking at the names. But we鈥檙e not wanting to be activists about this. We want to follow the guidance of our Chief Medical Officer of Health, and we want to do things right, and we want to of course act on the feedback from the communities. We鈥檙e still waiting to hear from one of them. If they were to say all mushers must be vaccinated, or the volunteers to come into our community, then of course we have to require that. But as a board, we鈥檝e decided the best action for us is to listen to what the Chief Medical Officer is telling us, listen to what the communities want, and then design our COVID plan accordingly.

鈥淓ven if we are all vaccinated, if you do happen to catch it, you have just as much of a viral load as an unvaccinated person, and you can also spread it. So even if everybody were vaccinated, we still are relying on our COVID plan to keep everybody safe.鈥�

Measures for the Quest COVID plan include the use of face masks inside of buildings, when people are being checked in and out. The mushers do have face gaiters, but the organizers understand those aren鈥檛 as effective as face masks, so face masks will be supplied, as well as hand sanitizer. Essentially, the Safe Six plus one.

Of course, there are other changes to the races due to COVID.

鈥淲e are not having a food drop,鈥� said Rogan. 鈥淭he dog handlers will bring the food drops to the checkpoints. We haven鈥檛 yet decided whether people will be allowed to camp out or whether they will be allowed into buildings. Again, that鈥檚 up to the communities. And if they are allowed to camp out in those buildings, then of course they鈥檒l have to have proper spacing and COVID protocols. But it is still fluid.鈥�

For the 2021 Yukon Journey, which replaced the Quest, at least one community allowed the racers in.

鈥淧elly invited us in and opened up their hall for us and they even cooked us food and kids took the day off school, and lined the streets 鈥� it was quite fun 鈥� my dogs took a sharp right and I went right through the flagging tape and over to the Pelly store with flagging tape draping off of me and the cops had to stop my frickin鈥� team. It was frickin鈥� disastrous and I was like 鈥榳hy me?鈥欌��. But we had a good time, and nobody got sick, and nobody spread anything. We abided by reasonable measures and yet people still managed to have a good time,鈥� related Rogan.

鈥淐armacks, they didn鈥檛 want us in their rec hall 鈥� that鈥檚 all good, so people were allowed to sleep in their cars and we set up a wall tent. We just did what we had to do. Whatever they want us to do, of course we鈥檙e going to do that. We want the participation of the communities and in order to get that, we have to do what they ask us, and that鈥檚 just how it is,鈥� Rogan added.

According to Rogan, the email sent to the mushers said 鈥渨e need to organize this race. We鈥檝e got people angry at us for not requiring vaccinations but we鈥檙e going to have people angry at us if we do require them 鈥� we鈥檙e just asking at this point 鈥榓re you鈥� (vaccinated)?鈥�

But what if someone doesn鈥檛 want to get vaccinated?

鈥淚 can see that point. If it鈥檚 not legally required, why are we requiring it, but I would just have to tell them, like, we are a community, and it鈥檚 not just what the law says, it鈥檚 the perception ... it鈥檚 the sincere concerns of our First Nations communities, owners of private property who鈥檝e offered hospitality suites, we have to respect those people鈥檚 demands, because we鈥檙e guests on their land, in their community, in their homes. I don鈥檛 want to say everything鈥檚 finalized yet, but I think I鈥檓 signalling to you which direction we鈥檙e going in here. We don鈥檛 want to alienate people unnecessarily, so we鈥檙e waiting to get the information back, before we start talking about things like that.鈥�

鈥淲e had the discussion 鈥� it was actually, funny enough, the person who is immune-compromised and can鈥檛 even attend our meetings 鈥� she was the one who said 鈥榶ou know what guys, we鈥檙e not going to make everybody happy no matter what we decide, let鈥檚 follow what our well-paid professionals are telling us we should do. We don鈥檛 need to figure this out.鈥� We listened to her because she鈥檚 exactly the kind of person who鈥檚 most affected by non-vaccinated people and yet she also realizes she can catch COVID from vaccinated people.鈥�

鈥淲e all realize that vaccinated, unvaccinated, you still have to act as if it鈥檚 a risk, and you still have to have a real good plan to keep people safe.鈥�

Has the Yukon Government given them a mandate yet?

鈥淭hey have not. However, we haven鈥檛 got an approved COVID plan yet, either 鈥� it鈥檚 well on it鈥檚 way.

鈥淲e鈥檙e kind of getting pressure from certain people saying 鈥業鈥檓 disappointed you鈥檙e not requiring vaccine鈥� 鈥� we鈥檙e just hoping it鈥檚 not going to be an issue so we don鈥檛 alienate people. I feel that there鈥檚 people who are sort of being driven further down their path away 鈥� none of us want to see our community divided unnecessarily over this issue.

鈥淚t is definitely a really tough year to be trying to plan 鈥� a community event, where everybody鈥檚 supposed to be welcome.

鈥淲e鈥檙e also aware that we鈥檙e as a board supposed to be providing leadership. That鈥檚 not up to our staff, like our Executive Director, whatever. That鈥檚 up to me as the board president and the board. Like, I鈥檓 only one voice, but it鈥檚 really up to us. And we know we鈥檙e all very strong personalities. It鈥檚 not that we鈥檙e wimps. And it鈥檚 more like knowing that, we鈥檙e all trying to walk that line.鈥�

There won鈥檛 be a big banquet for this Quest, either.

鈥淲e are not gonna have a big banquet,鈥� advised Rogan. 鈥淔irst of all, the only big banquet hall here in the Yukon is still being used for vaccinations, for COVID. We can鈥檛 have the Alaskan side here, so even though we have a total of 32 signups 鈥� we鈥檙e not expecting to have the numbers 鈥� people crossing the border 鈥� so instead we鈥檙e going to have a cocktail party, because we鈥檙e limited in space, and that will be like mushers and sponsors and key people, and then we鈥檙e also going to have a bib draw and Meet the Mushers and some kind of a finish event, which we haven鈥檛 finalized yet. But they won鈥檛 be big sit-down dinners like what people are used to.鈥�

Much like the Yukon Journey, the upcoming Quest will have longer mandatory rest stops built in.

鈥淚 think the most interesting thing about our race is the increased mandatory rest. We tried it out with Yukon Journey last year, it was very successful, and popular 鈥� it was better for the dogs, it was more fun for the mushers.鈥�

Rogan also explained why they shortened the races this year.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got a vocal minority who are very adamant about this is what the Quest is 鈥� it鈥檚 a 1,000 mile international race, and that鈥檚 exactly what we planned to put on this year. It was actually one of our board members, Frank Turner, who said 鈥榳e need to do a survey鈥� 鈥� and guess what, he was right. We got the results back, and thank God we did that survey. Because people weren鈥檛 able to do it.鈥�

She said the survey yielded some interesting results.

鈥淭here were about 12 people who said 鈥榝or sure,鈥� 鈥� and of those 12 people 鈥� about four of them were actually qualified to do the Quest. 鈥榃e are in big trouble here. What can we do?鈥� We had other categories, and there were about 43 people who said 鈥榶eah, I would run a shorter race.鈥� And of those, 32 have signed up, which is really really good.鈥�

Rogan said the 2022 race will see an increase in the number of participants.

鈥淭he year before COVID hit 鈥� there were only 15 signups 鈥� we have more than twice the signups this year, but of course it鈥檚 a more accessible race.鈥�

Rogan thinks the shorter races have had an impact on the number of mushers.

鈥淒efinitely. There were more people able to do it. More qualified. They don鈥檛 have to have a qualifier on our side. The 550 does require a qualifier. But that鈥檚 on the Alaskan side. They鈥檙e just going through some really remote areas and they don鈥檛 want people who have no experience thinking 鈥榯his is a dream.鈥欌��

Rogan says the bottom line is that 鈥渨e need to be nice to each other. That goes for people who are afraid of getting vaccines.That鈥檚 really where we鈥檙e coming from with this. We don鈥檛 want to be divisive. We don鈥檛 want to be critical. But we do want to stick by what makes sense. What鈥檚 safe. What we鈥檙e supposed to do.

鈥淚 just want to clarify that we will be requiring vaccines for all mushers鈥� stated Rogan.

鈥淎ll of them as far as we鈥檙e aware are vaccinated anyway. We certainly don鈥檛 want to alienate anyone, but we have to at some point make a call and get on with our planning.鈥�

鈥淲e also learned at the TIA (Yukon) Zoom meeting that all people attending events over 50 people will have to show proof of vaccination,鈥� said Rogan. 鈥淭herefore, it is extremely likely that we will require all of our race officials, checkpoint volunteers and our vet team to be fully vaccinated. Our COVID plan is not yet finalized but will be in November. The people in place in these positions so far, are in fact fully vaccinated.

Rogan added 鈥渢here are many moving parts with the Yukon Quest, from pre-race events to the start line, time stations, check points, finish line, and post race events. The Yukon Quest will work with the Government of Yukon to examine each aspect of our race in order to design and implement an optimal COVID plan.鈥�