By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Another COVID-19 case was added to the city’s dashboard late in the day Monday.
The dashboard shows the latest case is for a nonresident, asymptomatic girl, age 10-19, who is a student at Mt. Edgecumbe High School. The school has switched its risk level from “low,” or yellow, to “moderate” - orange.
The community remains at a “low” alert level.
Two other positive test results were returned on Monday (males, ages 60-69 and 30-39). The three tests were taken October 16, 21 and 22.
Sitka’s dashboard now shows four active cases, and a 14-day rolling case rate of .29 average cases per day.
Mt. Edgecumbe High School Superintendent Janelle Vanasse said the positive test came up during the regular testing of the students held every four weeks. The student is in isolation. About 10 close contacts were tested and quarantined, after their tests came back negative, she said.
“We did additional testing and we’ll continue to do testing,” Vanasse said.
In Mt. Edgecumbe’s “moderate” risk level, town leave has been canceled and no visitors are allowed, although deliveries are accepted. Sports competitions are allowed but there are restrictions on spectators.
But City Administrator John Leach, the incident commander, noted that even though there were three positive test results in a day, the first person was tested 11 days ago.
Leach also said the results of testing of a sample of Sitka’s wastewater sent to the UAA lab last week, and returned Monday, showed no COVID-19 was detected.
“I’m still comfortable with how we’re doing,” Leach said. “There’s been a heightened level of attention about cases around the state, but I think we’re doing very well in Sitka. I hope citizens continue to do what they’re doing.”
The school district is still on “low” risk level - or “green,” with three cases listed over two weeks from the community. (The district does not count the nonresidents in its case count.)
“We’re doing well,” School District Superintendent John Holst said. “We had a positive test last week (asymptomatic) and we’ve been dealing with that, but it doesn’t appear any positives have come out of anyone with any contact at all with the positive person. We’re still waiting on some results.”
All three of the positive tests of district employees since the start of school were asymptomatic, and all were found through the regular testing schedule. The district tests teachers and other staff every other week.
Holst encouraged continued caution, particular coming into the holiday season when many students will be home from college from Thanksgiving on.
“It would be helpful if these students followed the old guidelines, and make sure they have as little contact as possible with other people, until they test negative,” Holst said. “That would be helpful.”
