By Sentinel Staff
Sitka’s COVID alert status dropped from “substantial” to “moderate” today, marking the lowest seven-day number of cases since late June.
The four cases reported during the past week puts the Sitka case rate per 100,000 population at 46.93, qualifying the community for the second lowest of the four alert levels on local and national dashboards, which run from “high” (red) to ”substantial (orange),” “moderate (yellow),” and “low (blue).”
Sitka had been at the “substantial” alert level since Nov. 7.
As a state, Alaska remains at “high” alert, with one of the highest COVID case rates in the U.S. But today’s national data showed the state moving from the “hottest” spot in the country, in cases per 100,000, to fourth place.
Soren White administers a shot for Eliana, one of dozens of children getting their first dose of vaccine at a clinic held in the Harry Race Pharmacy building. It was the pharmacy’s first clinic for children following the CDC recommendation that children between the ages of 5 and 11 years receive the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine. (Sentinel Photo)
Sitka’s new “moderate” status is one of the lowest alert levels of communities throughout the state. The COVID alert map on the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services site shows Sitka and the area at the end of the Aleutian chain in yellow for “moderate” risk, and Skagway as the only census area in “blue” for “low.”
Sitka would need a week without any cases to qualify for that level.
The COVID status signs at the Sitka Public Library, Harrigan Centennial Hall and the Sitka Fire Hall displayed the shift to yellow at around 1:25 p.m. today.
When Sitka’s alert level dropped out of “high” earlier this week the local mask mandate went out of effect. With today’s improvement to “moderate” alert, the guidelines on the city dashboard site (cityofsitka.org) recommend face coverings when six feet of distancing can’t be maintained from others.
