With Covid-19 cases falling in Alaska and hospitals not in actual crisis mode, many Alaskans are turning their focus to the holidays.
But not the Rogers Park Community Council. It’s still working on “Covid crisis” politics.
The midtown-area council will ask the Anchorage Assembly tonight to make the position of Chief Medical Officer one that must be confirmed by the Assembly. Currently, the position is one of the few at the top of the Executive Branch that doesn’t require confirmation — similar to chief of staff.
Tuesday’s Assembly meeting begins at 5 pm on the ground floor of the Loussac Library, which is located at the corner of 36th Avenue and Denali Street.
Never in the 40+ year history of Anchorage has that position been subject to confirmation by the Assembly.
The Rogers Park Community Council passed a resolution on Monday that contains a lot of outdated statistical information about the pandemic that arrived in Alaska in March of 2020. The resolution cites a similar stance against Dr. Michael Savitt, who is Mayor Dave Bronson’s medical advisor on staff, which was taken by several pediatricians in Anchorage in October, when they demanded the resignation of Savitt. They are also trying to go after his medical license.
Savitt has taken a careful approach to mandates from the government on the citizenry. He has stated that masks generally do not work for the general public because they don’t have virus-shielding masks, people don’t wear them correctly, and most don’t handle them properly.
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a video last week that wearing a mask will prevent transmission of Covid up to 80 percent of the time. There appears to be no data to support her assertion:
In the Rogers Park Community Council resolution, the group from the neighborhood in Assembly District 4, said that the hospitalization rate has increased 16 percent over the previous week. That data is weeks old, as hospitalizations for Covid are now at at the level they were at the beginning of August.
The Rogers Park Community Council board is dominated by those who also oppose Gov. Mike Dunleavy, another elected official who has taken a conservative approach to the virus and supported civil liberties.
Rogers Park Community Council Chair Peter Mjos signed the Recall Dunleavy petition two years go. So did the Vice Chair Scott McMurren.
Those in attendance at the meeting reported to Must Read Alaska that the vote in the unrecorded meeting was 20 in favor of the resolution, four opposed and 3 abstentions. It is not clear who voted or whether they are members of the Rogers Park neighborhood, which has about 4,000 residents.
Attendees were rude and interruptive to Dr. Savitt, who also attended the meeting, according to MRAK sources.
Rogers Park is in District 4, represented by far-left Assembly members Meg Zaletel and Felix Rivera. Both attended the meeting, which was conducted via videoconference.
Dr. Savitt’s response to the current clamber to mask and vaccinate everyone was measured. He said the Anchorage Health Department is “cautiously optimistic” regarding the last several weeks of Covid numbers for the Municipality of Anchorage.
“We continue to see a decrease in the 14 day rolling average, 7-day positivity rate and reproduction numbers. We remain in a high-risk environment or red zone, but appear to be trending downward. Hospitals remain at near capacity levels. We hope to see those numbers start to decrease soon as well,” he wrote last week.
“In a continuing effort to drive the numbers further down we encourage folks to get vaccinated and follow CDC prevention strategies, such as, proper use of masks, handwashing for 20 seconds or more, physical distancing, and properly ventilated indoor spaces. When all of these measures are used together, we decrease the chance of getting sick with COVID. We strongly encourage you to speak to your healthcare provider to discuss vaccinations. If you do not have a healthcare provider, call the Anchorage Health Department,” Savitt wrote.
“Testing remains a very important tool in combatting COVID. Early detection of COVID leads to early treatment and better outcomes. If you have symptoms, get tested. It is the only way to know if you have COVID as many other illnesses have the same symptoms. If you have a positive test, call your healthcare provider asap for advice about early treatment. If you do not have a healthcare provider, call the Anchorage health Department for advice. Do not just sit at home, not seeking medical advice and hope for the best,” he wrote.
Savitt also wrote that good treatment includes monoclonal antibodies infusion. “This treatment is safe and effective. It works best when given within the first three to five days after onset of symptoms,” he wrote.
