COVID update 4: Anchorage emergency declared, trade group meetings cancelled

By
Suzanne Downing
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7

Must Read Alaska is publishing updates relating to the Coronavirus COVID-19. Check for previous stories under the All Stories tab.

In this update: Anchorage, D.C. disaster declarations, ‘Meet Alaska’ cancelled, miners meeting called off

Anchorage: Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz announced an emergency declaration, allowing the municipality to request funds from the State of Alaska for services needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The first case was identified in Alaska today; the person is a cargo pilot who was transiting through the Ted Stevens International Airport.

The emergency declaration “allows the Municipality, through the Office of Emergency Management, to request assistance from the State of Alaska, including funds, services or materials deemed necessary to meet needs stemming from COVID-19.”

“Our strategy is to prepare and to position our resources to slow its advance and minimize its effect,” Berkowitz said.

D.C. emergency: Washington, D.C.vMayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency Wednesday. Also, officials have closed the U.S. Capitol and nearby congressional buildings to the public, through April 1.

Only staff, lawmakers, media, and official business visitors will be allowed inside the buildings on Capitol Hill.

Meet Alaska: The annual gathering of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, which focuses on companies providing support services to the resource industries, has been cancelled. It was scheduled for March 20.

Alaska Miners: The Alaska Miners Association has cancelled its Fairbanks conference for March 30-April 4.

Canadian Prime Minister’s wife: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will work from home for the next 14 days, because his wife has tested positive for coronavirus. He has not been tested and has shown no symptoms.

7 COMMENTS

  1. Be careful about where you get your information on this global pandemic.

    “The attempt to deflect and blame the media and Democrats, …instead of addressing the coronavirus is really irresponsible and hazardous to our viewers,” said Fox News producer.

    That was unexpected.

  2. There is so much missing from this report of the first COVID-19 case in Alaska. Why was this pilot flying around with the virus? What country was he from? Why was he allowed to transit through the airport and how many people did he expose? The story leaves many more questions than it answers. How long does it take to get test results? When and where was he tested? Why wasn’t he quarantined until he got his results? How long does it take to get results? What’s the rest of the story here?

    • The story about the first case is in update 3. There were many unanswered questions because the state’s chief medical officer did not want to give out much information other than “everyone who was exposed to him was informed.” As for how long until test results, the results are within hours, but they do send them out for verification, which takes days, during which they may be presumptive positive. – sd

  3. In other countries, Korea specifically, the test takes 10 minutes at most.
    Drive through, you never have to get out of your car.

    Results are texted to you, usually the next day.

    And it’s free

    They’ve been testing 10,000 a day.

    No reason we shouldn’t have that in place by now except for the unconscionable incompetence from the top down.

    • The reason is very clear. Our government is not interested and developing a capacity to handle emergencies of a medical nature. Once a social and political movement emerges to demand this of our government, then you will have the ability to change this.

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