By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The state Public Health Nurse’s office is asking the public to help get Sitka’s COVID-19 case numbers down.
“We are having cases here in Sitka that are not answering their telephones, not informing their contacts and not staying in isolation,” Denise Ewing said in an email today. “We need everyone’s help in getting our numbers in control.”
Six new positive test results were listed on the dashboard on Monday (Nov. 23):
- a symptomatic female, 10-19, tested Nov. 21, with a transmission classification of “secondary” and contact tracing complete.
- a symptomatic male, 10-19, tested Nov. 21, contact tracing “in process.”
- a symptomatic male, 30-39, tested Nov. 21, “community spread,” contact tracing completed.
- a symptomatic female, 10-19, tested Nov. 21, “secondary,” contact tracing completed.
- a symptomatic male, 0-9, tested Nov. 23, “secondary,” contact tracing completed.
- a symptomatic male, 10-19, tested Nov. 23, “secondary,” contact tracing complete.
Sitka’s 14-day rolling case rate is 4.6 average cases per day, with 29 current active cases. Sitka has a cumulative total of 155 resident cases, and 21 residents. The total cumulative case count is 176, including 147 listed as “recovered.”
The dashboard shows that Sitka passed the 1.0 threshold on Nov. 3, putting the community at “high” risk. The curve has continued to go up sharply with a slight leveling off around 4.5 for the past week.
A few comments at last week’s Unified Command meeting referred to the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations through various phases, and the coordinated planning that needs to occur among providers.
“The state definitely needs to be part of the community planning that’s going to be rolling out here for COVID,” Ewing said last week. “We need to really start talking about the vaccination and how that’s going to work. ... Just start making some plans at the (Emergency Operations Center) level on how that will look.”
She added, “Before we know it, that’s going to be right here at our door.”
She said she expects Phase I will include vaccinating essential workers, followed by those with high-risk medical conditions, and adults. “There’s a whole plan on how to roll that out over three phases.”
Pharmacist Trish White, co-owner of White’s and Harry Race pharmacies, said Monday that she’s already getting calls asking about getting a vaccination, expected to be available as early as next month. She added that it’s still not known how much will be available under Phase 1, but it won’t be enough for the whole community.
White said the pharmacies will have five immunizers, and are working with the Sitka Fire Department on plans to provide vaccinations. She said she is participating in the planning for COVID-19 vaccinations in the community, and taking part in the Unified Command meetings. She added the plan so far under Phase 1 calls for covering the healthcare community first, followed by emergency responders, such as EMTs.
White said she doesn’t have the exact date vaccines will be available, but hopes to know more in the first week of December.
Reporting last week from SEARHC, Maegan Bosak, director of marketing and communications, said SEARHC has an internal task force working to prepare for a COVID vaccine distribution.
“We are also operating on a three-phase system and have been working with Jennifer Bergen (state Southeast preparedness nurse) to make sure we are in communication,” Bosak said, and added she would include Ewing in the discussions.
Bosak said, “The number one focus for the entire vaccine is the healthcare workers that are in contact with patients. And so we look forward to a rollout hopefully in December.”
White said at the Unified Command meeting that Phase 1 includes vaccinating healthcare workers not directly employed by SEARHC.
“So we’ll be taking care of folks (SEARHC) is either not able to take care of, or the ancillary medical,” she said. “So that would be everybody here.”
White said today she and others are continuing their work to set up a system for administering vaccinations, which will be through an “appointment-based point of distribution.”
“We’re excited and pleased we’re moving forward to provide that,” White told Unified Command. She added today that to those who have not done so already, “Get your flu vaccination.”
At the Unified Command meeting last week, City Administrator John Leach discussed his work with northern southeast communities about cruise ships starting up again next year, and how medevac traffic could affect Sitka.
“The capacity of our medical facility is something that’s going to be very important,” he said. “So I’ll have some discussions with those affected communities. .... We’ll probably be talking soon with SEARHC, what the (consortium’s) comfort level is going to be, and how we communicate capacity back and forth with the cruise ship companies. More to come on that.”
The wastewater report came in later in the week, with a “weakly positive” detection of the last sample taken Nov. 16, and sent to the UAA Department of Biological Sciences lab. “Wastewater detection suggests community transmission in this context,” the Nov. 20 report says.
Jessica Ieremia, the city library director and public information officer, said she and fellow PIO Sara Peterson are working on messaging with the holiday season in mind; and encouraging the public to stay updated on the dashboard at cityofsitka.org.
In a another update, another member of the EOC said COVID testing is available at the airport, during flight times, for those who have traveled or plan to travel off the road system.
Also at last week’s meeting, Sitka Schools Superintendent John Holst discussed the reopening of Baranof elementary, the only school with in-person instruction.
“We’re still hopeful we’re going to be able to do something else with the other schools - we’re going to be looking at a trend,” he said. “We recognize we are not going to be at number 12 (12 cases over two weeks) anytime soon but if we can start seeing a trend downward we’re going to start thinking about reopening some of the other buildings.”
Holst said today the principals will be sending out surveys to staff and parents about their preferences for virtual or in-person instruction.
“We’re not going to be having in-person instruction until at least December 7,” he added.
Bosak said Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center last Wednesday had no COVID patients, but did have a positive case in isolation in the short-term housing.
“Half of that facility was created in a specific COVID wing that isolated and restricted air access and entry,” she said.
The Unified Command group meets regularly to discuss the community response to the pandemic.
