Daily Sitka Sentinel

Virus Task Force: No Problems in Sitka, SE

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

Even with several new positive cases, Sitka seems to be doing a good job controlling and preventing the spread of COVID-19, the city coronavirus Unified Command members were told Wednesday.

“I saw the numbers coming out of all the tests that are being done, the tests that have been completed/not completed,” said Fire Chief Dave Miller. “We don’t seem to be swamped with cases, so that’s good.”

Miller was filling in for the city administrator at Wednesday’s weekly meeting of the Unified Command. The group includes representatives from SEARHC, the school district, state Public Health, and the city.

A recording of the meeting was provided to the Sentinel for this story.

Public Health Nurse Denise Ewing said she and Public Information Officer Jessica Ieremia are looking into removing the 1 Cumulative Hospitalization from the city’s COVID dashboard.

“We talked today and decided that it really was zero hospitalizations because we had a client that came into the hospital and was discharged,” Ewing said. “She did not stay overnight... and did not have COVID-related symptoms. So we’re clearing the board with that and going back to zero. So if you see that change, that’s what that was.”

Four new positive COVID test results were reported to the public today (see related story and box on this page).

In Alaska, the breakdown in cases by age groups show:

- under 10, 3.99 percent

- 10 to 19, 9.31 percent

- 20 to 29, 23.31 percent

- 30 to 39, 19.25 percent

- 40 to 49, 14.76 percent

- 50 to 59, 13.87 percent

- 60 to 69, 9.39 percent

- 70 to 79, 4.62 percent

- 80 and up, 1.52 percent.

Dr. Elliot Bruhl, SEARHC vice president and chief medical officer, agreed with Miller’s assessment of Sitka’s situation.

“One of the things that’s quite encouraging in Southeast Alaska is that while there continues to be some positive tests in Sitka and in Wrangell, and Ketchikan and Juneau, etcetera, we’re not seeing the explosion of positive tests in Southeast that’s occurring in the Lower 48, or up in the Anchorage or Kenai areas,” he said.

Bruhl said he has been working with school district officials to provide support and answer questions in their planning for the coming school year. The state is creating guidelines to that end, he added.

“I’m excited about that challenge because it’s so important,” he said. “Without the schools, the community can’t really go forward. And so we’ve got to find a way to support the schools and support the kids and families and for it to be as safe as it can be.”

Interim District Superintendent John Holst advised the group of the reopening task force meeting planned for the following day. (See story on this page.)

He noted a comment from a teacher about the rising anxiety levels among school district staff.

“We’re going to have to move forward with our staff carefully, trying to be understanding of what their needs are,” Holst said. “That’s probably going to be one of our most difficult trickiest issues.”

In other comments, Bruhl said SEARHC is continuing with its goal of making the healthcare environment and communities safer, through more frequent testing of healthcare providers and making asymptomatic testing available to the public.

Free asymptomatic testing started over last weekend in Sitka, Juneau and Wrangell, and will start this weekend in Haines and Klawock. Smaller communities will follow, including in Kake, Pelican, Gustavus and Tenakee Springs. The program will be available weekends here for the rest of the year.

“We’re also committed to making testing available for all of the different school venues that we have now,” Bruhl said. He said he hoped that “smaller businesses and smaller groups of folks within the city” will avail themselves of the free testing available Saturday and Sunday at the drive-up site near the old Sitka hospital.

“But some of the larger groups like the schools – Mt. Edgecumbe High School, the Sitka School District – we’re going to try to set things up so we can provide testing there,” Bruhl said.

Maegan Bosak, SEARHC marketing and communications director, said the free testing was well received on its first weekend last Saturday and Sunday, with 189 self-administered tests recorded at the drive-up site. Results are expected a week after the tests were conducted. 

“Outside of that, we continue to advertise and promote proper face masking, physical distancing and hygiene methods that are relevant,” Bosak said.

Other reports related to getting information to the public, and reimbursements for costs related to the community response to the pandemic.

Richard Wein, Assembly liaison to the Unified Command, reported on the Assembly’s decision Tuesday to reject a resolution requiring masks in public indoor spaces and communal places. Wein, a medical doctor, voted against the resolution. In his comments at the Unified Command he talked about “mask discipline” in relation to the effectiveness of masks.