BULLETIN: At press time today, 10 new positive COVID test results were added to the dashboard at cityofsitka.org. More information will be in Thursday’s Sentinel.
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Nineteen of the last 20 positive COVID tests in Sitka were of unvaccinated people, city emergency operations incident commander Craig Warren said today.
“That is a huge number,” said the fire chief, who also heads the city’s Unified Command. “The one who was vaccinated and tested positive was asymptomatic,” he added.
The uptick in cases put Sitka in the “Red,” or high risk alert level for COVID transmission.
All but one of the 20 most recent positive cases in Sitka were local residents, authorities said.
The Sentinel spoke with Warren after the emergency meeting of the EOC that was called in response to the rise in cases this past week.
“The unvaccinated are the entire reason we are in Red right now,” Warren said. “We’re tired of being gentle – this is what’s causing this.”
The EOC is part of the city’s Unified Command, which has representatives from the city, education, public health, healthcare, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, and emergency response sectors.
Until now, the Unified Command hasn’t released information about the vaccination status of people testing positive. But that policy was changed in view of the rising case count, and to convey the importance of the vaccine in slowing the spread of the virus.
Other communities in Alaska also have started releasing information on vaccination status on their dashboards. Free vaccination has been available in Sitka for more than six months.
City staff notified the media Tuesday that the emergency meeting would be held this morning, as a result of the spike in positive test results.
The COVID dashboard posts eight new cases July 3-6, and a 14-day rolling case average of 1.36 cases per day.
At today’s meeting, the group agreed to release the percentages of vaccinated and unvaccinated people testing positive.
Warren made a strong statement about the urgent need for those who haven’t yet been vaccinated to get their shots.
“This isn’t an untested vaccine any more,” he said. “This is a vaccine that has been proven to substantially slow the spread of COVID. ... Please be vaccinated. The vaccine will make the difference.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has given emergency approval for three vaccines that proved effective against COVID, and all three are available in Sitka. The first vaccine shot in Sitka was administered in mid-December of 2020.
State public health nurse Denise Ewing said she’s concerned about the spike in positive tests, and mentioned the increasing presence of the Delta variant of the virus in Alaska.
“There is a real concern around the Delta variant and those who remain unvaccinated,” Ewing said in a text statement. “From a public health perspective it is very concerning as this new variant virus spreads more easily, more quickly and it is proving to make people who are not vaccinated very sick. Talk with your doctor and discuss the vaccine and any concerns you might have and how best to protect yourself and those around you.”
Sitka’s vaccination rate started strong and continues to rise, but more slowly. Public records show 5,409 (73 percent) of the age 12 and up population partially vaccinated and 5,071 (69 percent) fully vaccinated. The 12 and up population is 7,385.
The state Department of Health and Social Services reports 78 percent of the 1,478 Sitkans age 65 and up have been fully vaccinated.
Sitka’s “Red,” or high risk status, is in marked contrast to that of other Southeast communities: the website COVID Act Now shows Ketchikan, Skagway, Hoonah-Angoon and Juneau still at low or “very low” risk on their dashboards.
Contact tracing is in process for the latest Sitka cases, according to the dashboard.
