In a story in the Anchorage Daily News, readers are led to believe that the Trump Administration is pushing a statewide mask mandate for Alaska. And that the Trump Administration says seafood processors should hurry up and mask up.
On the same page, the newspaper touts how fake news about COVID-19 is hurting the nation’s health response: “Untruths about virus are proving highly contagious,” the headline reads.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy said the irony of those two headlines didn’t escape him.
In fact, in Alaska seafood processors came to an agreement with the State of Alaska in mid-May, and since May 15, all processors require masks of their workers. The last thing processors need is for a lawsuit from a worker who says they are not wearing masks, as mandated by the State of Alaska.
“To insinuate we are not, is just shoddy reporting,” Dunleavy said. “I wish they’d save the shoddy reporting for other aspects of government,” rather than misinform readers about COVID-19.
In the story, the reporters said that Dunleavy has “steadfastly declined to require masks statewide.”
In fact, Dunleavy has said time and again that he believes that kind of mask mandate is a local government prerogative, since many communities in Alaska will never see a case of COVID-19. Anchorage and Juneau have mask mandates, and other cities are considering them on a regular basis.
Alaska has the sixth fewest number of cases of the coronavirus per capita in the country. But seafood processors have been a hot spot in Alaska. Rather than the processors’ employees bringing the virus to the communities, it appears to be the other way around, however.
In Anchorage, Copper River Seafoods is covered not only by the existing mask mandate for processors, but by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’s mask mandate for the city.
Nevertheless, 76 workers out of 135 at Copper River Seafoods came down with the virus.
Dunleavy was so irritated with the weaponization and politicization of the story that he took to YouTube today to explain why the headline on the right rail of the newspaper was accurate, and the headline at the top of newspaper was an example of fake COVID-19 news.
“Just be careful what you read,” Dunleavy said. “And what certain outlets want you to believe.”
The Anchorage Daily News was referring to a July 26 report by the Trump Administration’s coronavirus task force, which was first published by The New York Times.
In the report, the Trump Administration says no part of Alaska is in the “red zone,” but that Alaska is in the “yellow zone” for cases, indicating between 10-100 new cases per population in the week prior. And Alaska is in the green zone for test positivity, with a positive rate of under 5 percent.
I appreciate Dunleavy calling out the ADN. If only things like that happened more often.
Journalism is expense; advertising is revenue.
Wearing a mask leads to testing positive. There I said because no one else will dare say the obvious.
Thank you Suzanne for your excellent reporting. We need you, especially in the days ahead. I will continue to contribute to your efforts as I can. Best to you.
It’s an amazing paragraph for all the internet viewers;
they will get advantage from it I am sure.
Obviously the journalist there graduated from the UAA School of Fake News rather than a real school. The current infestation of the media rivals only the Clinton Closet chock full of lies, mysterious staffer deaths, missing Dept. Of State money, and Obama selling arms to Benghazi terrorist that make Oly North look like Santa Clause. The stench from their closet sickens me.
The main stream media has been misinforming & politicizing Covid 19 since it first hit our shores. Hopefully, there will be criminal/civil consequences for the most blatant Fake News providers when this is over. Actions MUST have consequences or these people will continue to harm the public..
The processing plants take regular breaks, ‘mug ups‘, lunch, and work long hours when fish come in, under fairly crowded conditions. There is ample opportunity to need to remove a mask especially for eating and combined with The close quarters, plenty of opportunity to share a virus. Masks aren’t foolproof, they only lessen transmission which is certainly worthy, but we cannot expect any virus to be stopped in its tracks by our masking efforts. We can only do what we can to try and keep things manageable.
““To insinuate we are not, is just shoddy reporting,” Dunleavy said. “I wish they’d save the shoddy reporting for other aspects of government,” rather than misinform readers about COVID-19.”
Come on Governor what other reporting on government is” shoddy reporting ” allowable by him and the Administration ?
Kool Aid Drinking is contagious… even what comes from his Office!
Excellent!!! Keep blasting the fake news outlets the second you see something wrong.. Good job Dunleavy!
The self-described War President told Americans for months that covid would quickly disappear. He refused to wear a mask and made statements which discouraged the use of masks. 100 days before the election this is where we are: No mask. No job. No school. No church. No sports. No airplane travel. No bars. No optimism. No truth. He promised to serve us a juicy cheeseburger, the most beautiful burger in the world. If you didn’t like the taste of the Trumpburger it meant you were a loser, a liberal, an anarchist, or someone who hated America. And now more and more people are smelling that nasty smelling Trumpburger and thinking, “This is not so great.” And it will get worse. Desperate people do desperate things, especially when they are delusional. But at least us real Alaskans will get a big PFD check to live on.
Eric,
Sounds like you really didn’t like the taste of your “Trumpburger” and suffer the symptoms you mention. The only thing nasty smelling around here is the odor of left field and socialism in general. Those ‘desperate’ people you mention are the leftist democrats. They know the only way to succeed in destroying America is to make Americans believe statements like yours/theirs. Real Alaskan? Not with your diatribe. That’s “real” leftism. And don’t count on your PFD with your ‘chosen’ in charge of State spending. Won’t happen if they get their way.
Little trivia. “The difference between socialism and communism is that socialists don’t have the testosterone to man the barricades”.
Eric S – Fear is an amazing tool to use upon the public. Guess what? If Hiden Biden wins, all the D Fear will disappear.
Suzanne, you seem to have somehow failed to realize that ADN is not a newspaper. It simply is a newsletter published on behalf of The Democrat Party National Commune.
Amen to that first statement. ADN has always been a crappy, lying newspaper with journalists that are poor at reporting from Alaska and elsewhere. They take on bad reporting and keep it going to sell a few newspapers without a care in the world for the truth or the facts. With ADN, this has been going on for years and years. Hope Dunleavy keeps calling them out for shoddy and shady articles.
This story is not the sole incident of leftist propagandizing of truth. This is a concerted effort by the left (MSM), nationwide, to discredit any and all stories, speech and facts, by any other than leftist “reporters/scientists/doctors”, and politicians. Yesterday the foremost ‘medical’ authorities of the left, Dr.’s Fauci and Birx, attempted to put another nail in America’s coffin. “Wait for the vaccine”. Keep American small businesses closed until they are all bankrupt. Danger, danger! Now, Birx says “wear a face shield, masks are not enough”. She does say that one can ‘decorate’ the face shield to personal taste. Fauci says “Americans may need to wear masks every flu season”, to be ‘safe’. Big Pharma and the left will save us. These ‘experts’ are telling Americans everything but the truth.
The grand scheme of things (truth) will be apparent soon, to all those uninformed and unaware now. (Sound like a conspiracy nut, huh. I read a lot)
Little trivia. “Did you know that 80%+ of ad revenue for main stream media comes from Big Pharma?”
The fakestream media will do anything and everything to hurt conservatives and to aid and abet Democrats/leftists/socialists/communists.
Why doesn’t Dunleavy simply require everyone working in the seafood plants wear masks? Problem solved. Except just wearing masks won’t cut it. The only true solution is physical distancing. Masks, by themselves, won’t do it.
Will the Gov. take the necessary action to control the virus by requiring physical distancing? I think, perhaps not. He’d rather risk lives to salvage what is left of the state economy, even though it will be devastated by the ramp up in the virus that has brought other states to their knees.
The only physical distancing that will prevent getting this virus is leaving the planet and the whole mask thing is complete idiocy on a level equal to the bigfoot legend.
Bigfoot aka Hairy man is real.
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