By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
COVID case numbers took a dip over the last two days with 17 positive tests logged into the Sitka dashboard since Monday.
Ten cases were reported for Monday and seven for Tuesday, in today’s update. The weekly case total for Sitka fell to 135, down from the 164 reported at the last update on Monday.
The state now updates its dashboard on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the city followed suit.
The 135 positive tests for the last seven days here put the case rate at 1,583.9, which is the number of weekly cases per 100,000 population. A case rate of 100 or higher is considered high alert.
The entire state is currently in the high range, with the map in red – for high - on the Department of Health and Social Services website. DHSS is considering ways to determine risk or alert levels other than by case numbers, but no updates have been given on that issue recently.
The case rates around Southeast vary but all communities are well in the high range.
The 59 cases in Yakutat-Hoonah-Angoon over the past week put the case rate for that census area at 2,228; Prince of Wales (117 cases) 1,921; Wrangell (44 cases) 1,859; Juneau (579 cases) 1,822; Haines (40) 1,587. Ketchikan (144) 1,053; and Petersburg (20) is at 627. Skagway had four cases in the last seven days, and had no case rate since the number was under 6, said the information on the map.
The Department of Health and Social Services lists no hospitalizations in Sitka for the past two weeks and two for the last 30 days.
The Sitka schools website lists 12 cases isolating from district buildings, which include Baranof Elementary (3), Keet Gooshi Heen (4), Blatchley Middle School (1) and Sitka High (4).
Superintendent Frank Hauser said on Tuesday that 140 of the 1,132 students were not in school that day for various reasons – returning from vacation, illness, and close contacts. Testing supplies for optional and required tests (for activities) continue to be plentiful, he said.
“There’s been no known transmission in the schools. That’s where we’re at,” he said.
