LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which  distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming.  (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

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Daily Sitka Sentinel

City Changes Policy On COVID Masks

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

The city administrator at the end of last week’s Assembly meeting gave the heads-up on potential changes in the community related to COVID-19 precautions in public buildings.

And today, John Leach sent out a “return to work policy and guidelines” memo which says masks are not required for fully vaccinated employees, the general public and public contractors while in city and borough of Sitka buildings.

There is an exception for “high-risk environments,” such as direct patient care settings, and in “public engagement areas such as the Sitka Public Library that have patrons with a mixed vaccination status.” 

The policy also says:

“In non-high-risk environments, such as enclosed offices or work spaces, fully vaccinated individuals can gather and work without wearing masks or social distancing.”

Most of the memo relates to city employees but also covers public spaces and buildings.

Leach clarified that city employees will not be required to become vaccinated as a term or condition of employment, and contractors aren’t required to get shots as a condition of doing business with the city.

“However, vaccinating is still recommended, and the (City and Borough of Sitka) will allow any employee to get their vaccination while on city time,” he wrote.

Leach at last Tuesday’s regular
Assembly meeting pointed to the changing policies by the state, which last week rescinded the mask policies for employees in state buildings and took away the 100 percent telework model and moved to a “modified telework schedule.”

“We’ve typically been in lockstep with the state on some of the COVID mitigation measures,” Leach told the Assembly last week under “Reports” at the end of the meeting. “So they’re encouraging people to come back to the office, kind of a hybrid telework schedule – I think we were already on the hybrid telework schedule anyway.”

(The city’s telework policy allows employees to work from home when working in the office is not feasible. Hybrid telework is a combination of working from home and at the worksite.)

Leach added today that city hall has very few employees who work remotely at this time.

 “Most came back when we instituted the hybrid work policy,” Leach said today.

The reaction so far from staff members he’s spoken to has been “positive.”

After the memo went out, City Clerk Sara Peterson took down signs at city hall related to the masks. The sign, from the Department of Health and Social Services, the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development and the Foundation Health Partners, reads “Please wear a mask. To protect our community we require cloth face coverings for both our employees and customers.”

Leach noted that the Emergency Operations Center monitors case counts in the city, and the connected risk levels. The risk is currently at “low,” with a 14-day rolling case count of .43. Each risk level has recommended precautions.

Leach at the Assembly meeting also said he was proud to see Sitka’s high percentage of those at least “partially vaccinated,” which today was at 71.53 percent (65.19 fully vaccinated).

City buildings include city hall at 100 Lincoln Street, the public works building on Jarvis Street, Harrigan Centennial Hall, and the Sitka Public Library.

Leach said it won’t be staff’s job to ask members of the public entering public buildings whether they are vaccinated if they are not wearing a mask.

“That’s not our place in the world,” he said. “The last thing I want my staff to be is the vaccination police.”

Tony Rosas, manager of Harrigan Centennial Hall, said he just received the memo today and so far no changes are planned.

The signs at Centennial Hall ask that masks be worn if 6 foot distances can’t be maintained.

“We’ll take a look at the wording (of the city memo) and do the appropriate thing,” Rosas said.

Employees at the building were wearing masks today, he said.

 

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20 YEARS AGO

March 2004

Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.

50 YEARS AGO

March 1974

Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.

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