CASE COUNT: Wrangell currently has 0 active cases of COVID-19 in the community. As of today, the total case count for the state of Alaska is 56,097cases. That’s an increase of 1,277 cases from last week.
As of today, 1,191 people have required hospitalization. That includes 9 new hospitalizations over the last week. And as of today, 278 Alaskans have died. One of those deaths occurred during the last week. Another week of lower numbers than what we were seeing a month ago.
As of today, the northern Southeast Alaska Region, which includes Wrangell is in the State’s Low alert level. The southern Southeast Region (which includes Ketchikan & Prince of Wales) has gone from Low to High over the last week. They have identified 31 cases in the last week. Those cases are associated with mixing with other households at bars, wedding & churches.
You can visit the new data hub at data.coronavirus.alaska.gov.
For local case information & resources, you can visit wrangellcovid19.org.
TRAVEL: All Alaskan travelers should get tested 1-3 days prior to travel, stay home for 7 days after travel, and get a 2nd test 5-7 days after travel. If you have guests traveling to Wrangell please encourage them to follow the travel requirements.
All travelers awaiting, boarding, disembarking, or traveling on airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares are required to wear a face mask according to a CDC order that went into effect on February 1. This applies to travel into, within, or out of the United States and U.S. territories. People must also wear masks while at transportation hubs (e.g., airports, bus or ferry terminals, train and subway stations, seaports) and other locations where people board public transportation in the United States and U.S. territories.
VACCINE: All residents interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to register at covid19.searhc.org. Please provide a valid email when you register, and you will receive an email notification to schedule your appointment. SEARHC is currently scheduling ANY Wrangell residents. Any Wrangell resident can now receive the vaccine. Please pass this info along to your family, neighbors, and friends. 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.
As of today, 729 Wrangell residents have been vaccinated. More than half of those individuals have completed the 2-dose series. 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.
TESTING: Asymptomatic testing is still available, but individuals are required to cover testing fees at the time of testing. If you have symptoms, it is important to seek testing as soon as possible. Both asymptomatic and symptomatic testing can be arranged by calling the Wrangell Medical Clinic at 874-4700.
EMERGENCY DECLARATION: The current State Emergency Declaration is set to expire at 12:01am on February 15th. While Senate Bill 56 makes its way through the Legislature, there will likely be a gap in coverage resulting in changes to our current Health Orders. Without the emergency declaration in place, the State has less flexibility in responding to and recovering from this disaster. The Emergency Declaration and the Health Orders have provided a layer of protection to Wrangell through required airport testing for travelers, through protection measures put in place within the fisheries industry to ensure we don’t have outbreaks like we are currently seeing within the State, to fulfil local community resource requests. The EOC will update the community when more information is provided. You can follow the progress, provide public testimony, and watch the live hearings on Senate Bill 56 by visiting akleg.gov.
