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Airline passenger brings first case of COVID-19 to Southeast town of Gustavus

Alaska Airlines passengers wait for their bags at Gustavus Airport on June 29, 2017. (Photo by Jeremy Hsieh/KTOO)
Alaska Airlines passengers wait for their bags at Gustavus Airport on June 29, 2017. (Photo by Jeremy Hsieh/KTOO)

The small Southeast Alaska community of Gustavus has its first confirmed case of COVID-19.

The case was detected at the Gustavus Airport when an Alaska Airlines passenger took the test after an incoming flight. The Gustavus Emergency Operations Center was notified on Friday.

The person is not an Alaska resident and appears to be asymptomatic. They are currently in self-quarantine, and state officials are investigating the source of the virus.

Get the latest coverage of the coronavirus in Alaska

Before the City of Gustavus learned that the virus had come to town, it planned on hosting a virtual town hall meeting about the possibility of COVID-19 in Gustavus. That’s still happening Friday evening.

On Friday, the state reported 15 new cases of Alaskans testing positive for the virus and seven non-residents. This week marked  the highest active number of cases since the start of the pandemic.