By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Thirteen new COVID cases over the weekend took Sitka’s case rate to its highest since late October, the Department of Health and Social Services reports.
The 13 include seven positive tests on Friday, four on Saturday, and two on Sunday. All the cases are listed as residents.
The seven-day case total now stands at 26, which raises the rate to 305.06 adjusted for 100,000 population. It’s Sitka’s highest weekly number of cases and case rate since late October.
The DHSS is providing updates now only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The city dashboard relays information from the state and is updated the same day.
Any case rate of 100 and up (the equivalent of 9 or more cases in a week) keeps Sitka on high alert, where it’s been since November 17.
There has been one hospitalization listed on the state dashboard for Sitka in the past 14 days.
The state as a whole is at high alert, although there are exceptions: Petersburg, Skagway, Fairbanks North Star, Yukon-Koyukuk and North Slope Borough have gone down to “substantial”; Aleutians East and West, Chugach, Yakutat, Angoon, Hoonah, Wrangell are at “moderate”; and Haines and Denali are at “low.”
The city last week reminded residents that while Sitka is on high alert, the mask ordinance is “still activated, which requires the use of face coverings in certain indoor settings.”
The face covering ordinance expires anytime Sitka is below high alert, and reactivates when the community is at high. The ordinance expires permanently March 22, 2022.
The December 8 announcement on the city COVID webpage included the reminder about wearing face coverings when six feet of distance can’t be maintained as a precaution during “high.” Other recommendations are to not have large gatherings, 50 percent capacity for bars and restaurants, takeout and curbside encourages. Also testing is strongly encouraged for travelers, and limiting travel when possible.
The city vaccinations dashboard show 81 percent of Sitkans age five and older have had one or more doses, and 76.9 percent are fully vaccinated.
For those age 18 and up, the figure goes to 85.8 percent (5,779); and 82.4 percent (5,550). A new statistic shows 39.8 percent (2,678) have received a booster.
In the 12 to 18 age group 91.3 have received one dose or more, and 86.3 percent are fully vaccinated. In the age 5 to 11 group 29.7 percent have had 1+ dose, and 20.8 percent are fully vaccinated).
