So far, Wrangell has had 20 cases of COVID-19. We do not have any active cases currently. The case count for the entire state of Alaska is 8,780 cases. That’s an increase of 839 cases from last week. As of today, 293 people have required hospitalization, and that includes 24 new hospitalizations over the last week. As of today, 56 people have died. Five of those deaths have occurred during the last week. For more info, go to covid19.alaska.gov.
The CDC recently released guidelines on fall and winter holiday celebrations and tells us what we can do to help protect individuals, their families, friends and communities from COVID. This can be found at cdc.gov.
Masks continue to be available at public buildings around town. The library has masks in children’s and adult sizes, call 874-3535 for more info. The fire hall also has masks, and can be reached at 874-3223. Local businesses also carry a variety of masks.
The SEARHC COVID-19 hotline is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 907-966-8799. Community asymptomatic testing continues to be available every Saturday and Sunday at the SEARHC clinic parking lot from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Test results are still currently being received within three days or less. Last weekend, 67 people attended community testing and 15% of our local population was tested over the last seven days.
The November 1 application deadline is approaching for the local business and household CARES Act grant funding. Go to www.wrangell.com for the application, and contact City Hall with any questions.
Regular local election day will take place on Tuesday, October 6, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. When you go to the Nolan Center to vote, please remember to wear your mask. The poll workers will be wearing protective gear as well. Alternatively, if you would like to vote absentee, you can request a ballot to be mailed to you. If you would like to absentee vote in person, you can do that at City Hall in the clerk’s office until Monday, October 5 at 4 p.m. Contact Kim Lane at City Hall if you have questions at 874-2381.
Since January 2020, the Alaska Poison Control Center has received over 200 calls associated with possible poisonings from disinfectants and cleaners. Cleaning and disinfecting continues to be important COVID prevention strategies. However, Alaskans should be aware that some products have been recalled. Other products can be poisonous when handled improperly, or when adults and children accidentally swallow or touch them.
While washing your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds is the preferred and recommended way of cleaning, using hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol can be an effective way to clean your hands when soap and water are not available. However, federal regulators are warning people to avoid nearly 150 different hand sanitizer brands because they are contaminated with methanol, a dangerous chemical that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin and can be life threatening if swallowed. Some contaminated hand sanitizer brands were sold in Alaska stores, and while stores are recalling products when necessary, it’s still important to check the quality of the hand sanitizer that you use. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has put together a list of recalled products on its list of recalled products webpage or website. The best way to find out if your hand sanitizer hand sanitizer was recalled is to check the FDA list. If you’re concerned about potential poisoning, call 1-802-802-2212. Specialists at the Alaska Poison Control Center provide free confidential expert medical advice 24 hours a day. They can answer questions and help with poison emergencies.
If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please reach out out to the Wrangell COVID-19 hotline: 874-2684.
