CASE COUNT: Wrangell currently has one active case of COVID-19 in the community. As of today, the total case count for the state of Alaska is 53,670 cases. That’s an increase of 1,277 cases from last week.
As of today, 1,176 people have required hospitalization. That includes 30 new hospitalizations over the last week. As of today, 259 Alaskans have died. Three of those deaths have occurred during the last week. For more data, you can visit the COVID data hub at covid19.alaska.gov. For local case information & resources, you can visit wrangellcovid19.org.
Most regions of Alaska continue to have high community transmission and are at a high alert level. The Northern Southeast region — which includes Wrangell — recently moved into the intermediate level, and our neighbors to the south are now in the low alert level.
TRAVEL: If you have traveled recently, the state of Alaska is asking all Alaskans to get tested one to three days prior to travel, stay home for seven days after travel, and get a second test five to seven days after travel. Airport testing will continue to be in place through June 2021. It has become even more important to ensure you follow this health order as the state announced yesterday that the U.K. variant has been found within Alaska. So if you have family or friends traveling to Wrangell, please encourage them to follow the travel requirements.
VACCINE: More than 105,000 Alaskans have received a COVID-19 vaccine. It is unknown whether vaccinated individuals might still be able to pass the virus on to others. So once you have received the vaccine, it is still important to follow the recommended mitigation measures such as wearing a mask, staying home when you are sick, delaying unnecessary travel, taking care of your health, keeping your social circle small and washing your hands.
All residents interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to register at covid19.searhc.org. It’s quick and easy – make sure to provide a valid email when you register, and you will receive email notification to schedule your appointment as soon as the vaccine is available for your sequence group. SEARHC is currently scheduling Wrangell residents age 65 and older and essential workers (as defined by the CDC). New clinics will be added as more vaccine supplies arrive. If you have any questions or cannot register electronically, please call the clinic at 874-4700 or call the SEARHC COVID Hotline at 907.966.8799.
TESTING: Asymptomatic testing remains available, but individuals will be required to cover testing fees at the time of testing. All patients must schedule an appointment to receive a test. If you have symptoms, it is important to seek testing as soon as possible. This can be done Monday through Friday by calling the Clinic at 874-4700.
Finally: This week marks one year since the first plane of evacuees from Wuhan, China landed in Anchorage. A lot has been learned in the last year about the virus, how to protect ourselves from it, and how to modify our daily lives so we can say ‘Yes’ to things more safely. The more we each practice the mitigation measures that have been proven to prevent the spread, the more things we may be able to say ‘Yes’ to.
