By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
City Administrator John Leach says the mandates Gov. Dunleavy issued Friday don’t alter recommendations in the resolution to “shelter in place” that the Assembly passed at last Tuesday’s meeting in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“If anything, it makes the Assembly resolution stronger,” Leach said in an interview this morning. “It clarifies our resolution, in defining what critical and essential services are.”
The mandates are related to social distancing (Health Mandate 11), and intrastate travel (Health Mandate 12).
As of Sunday, Sitka had no confirmed cases, but a number were reported over the weekend in other Alaskan communities. The confirmed cases are updated around 5 p.m. daily.
SEARHC today also responded to Dunleavy’s Health Mandate 11 on social distancing, with an announcement suspending visiting hours at Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center. As of today, visitation is limited to only end-of-life situations, or accompaniment of a patient under 18 with special assistance requirements.
“Community spread of the coronavirus is evident throughout our state and region,” said SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elliot Bruhl, in a press release today. “There is a need to further mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 through limiting movement and close contact. In complying with the Governor’s mandate, we will create a safer environment for SEARHC patients and employees.”
City Administrator John Leach works on the city's COVID-19 response at the Sitka Fire Hall last week.
(Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
Sitka Long-Term Care and Wrangell’s long-term care facility limited visitors to only end-of-life situations in early March.
SEARHC recently expanded testing guidelines following confirmed cases in Southeast.
“Patients exhibiting symptoms of fever and cough, or shortness of breath, are now eligible to receive a COVID- 19 test, regardless of travel history or known exposure to confirmed cases,” the announcement said.
Following the first confirmed cases in Juneau and Ketchikan, the Unified Command in Sitka issued a joint recommendation to shelter in place.
On Tuesday the Assembly approved a resolution recommending that Sitkans stay home as much as possible, close nonessential businesses to the public or work from home, and observe social distancing.
The governor’s mandate provides a similar list of essential businesses, but adds penalties for “noncompliance.”
Leach added that the city’s resolution is in alignment with the governor’s mandate on social distancing on Friday but he was glad to see a definition in the governor’s mandate of “essential and nonessential services” with strict guidelines for enforcement, and penalties.
“Obviously we live under that mandate,” he said. “And we’re going to comply with it. ... This puts a little more muscle behind what we’re asking people to do,”
In other news, Leach said the city has filed a request to be eligible for reimbursement for COVID-19 expenses from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Unified Command (SEARHC and the city) has also made a request to the state Emergency Operations Center to use Mt. Edgecumbe High School facilities to help stop COVID here. More details will be announced later, Leach said.
He added that Mt. Edgecumbe High School has “collaborated with the Unified Command to offer the campus to help with expanding health care capacity as necessary.”
Those with questions about visiting patients in SEARHC’s health care facilities may call the main number at 966-2411.
SEARHC’s website for virus information is covid19.searhc.org. The hotline for questions and those believing they need to be tested is 966-8799.
