By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Eight new COVID-19 cases were added to the city dashboard today, taking the weekly case count to 32 and the case rate to 375.45.
The uptick in the last few days follows a generally downward trend in cases on the dashboard since the summer.
The eight cases reported on Thursday, followed a 10-case day on Wednesday, and five on Tuesday. Until Tuesday, cases per day this week had been ranging from 1 to 3 since October 7.
Most of the positive cases from the last week were for residents. Of the 32 cases, five were nonresidents and 27 residents.
Adding to the nonresident totals in Sitka over the past few weeks were a number of cases at the Alaska Public Safety Academy, the Department of Public Safety said today.
Responding to a question by the Sentinel the troopers said “multiple” recruits and staff members at the academy had tested positive for COVID-19. No information was available on the number, but a spokesman said there were no hospitalizations or deaths.
“The recruits that tested positive are recovering within the academy,” said Austin McDaniel, acting communications director at the Alaska State Troopers in the Department of Public Safety.
“Training at the academy was paused last week and we anticipate it resuming some time next week after those that tested positive complete their isolation periods,” he said in an email. “The academy has conducted three successful academies since COVID-19 became prevalent in Alaska without any major outbreaks. We continue to work closely with our partners in the Alaska Division of Public Health to reduce the risk of an outbreak and any avoidable spread of COVID-19.”
McDaniel added, “We will continue to work closely with (our) partners in the Alaska Division of Public Health to reduce the risk of an outbreak and any avoidable spread of COVID-19.”
The academy currently has 23 recruits, in addition to 11 staff members, for the 16-week course for training for the Alaska State Troopers and those going to work for police departments and other law enforcement agencies in Alaska. As a result of the COVID cases and pause in training, graduation has been pushed out by a week, McDaniel said.
Recruits come from all over the state for training, are housed at the academy and are mainly on campus, “outside a couple of excursions,” McDaniel said.
Mt. Edgecumbe High School has students who, for COVID reporting, are “resident” because their homes are in Sitka; “nonresident” students are from other places in Alaska.
Janelle Vanasse, Mt. Edgecumbe High School Superintendent, provided an update today, reporting no positive cases at the weekly test on Tuesday. Among the 300 tested were the students who participate in sports and activities, town students, and a sampling of the rest of the student body; and optional testing of staff members.
“We’re really excited: we had some COVID initially (at the beginning of the school year) and worked through that,” Vanasse said. “With our closed campus and mask mitigation we feel we have control of it now. We’re looking for ways to expand activities our kids can have access to, of course still thinking about mitigation and COVID safety.”
She said it was “energizing” to see the kids once again as spectators for a volleyball game this week, after determining that cases were under control and the activity could be done safely.
The Sitka School District reported three active cases at this time, with updates scheduled for 5 p.m. weekdays. All schools in the district have been conducting classes in-person since the start of the school year.
