Petersburg’s active COVID-19 cases climbed to 46 yesterday, with results from 271 tests pending.
Earlier this week, Petersburg incident commander Karl Hagerman said community spread appears to be happening in multiple settings and locations.
A contact tracing team from the State of Alaska has been helping investigate possible sources of spread. They’re asking residents to answer the phone when they call and to cooperate with testing.
Petersburg Medical Center leadership said on Tuesday that staff had been working around the clock. The medical center has treated some patients with monoclonal antibody treatments and have more doses if needed.
The medical center has ventilators on site but would likely medevac patients out for that treatment, they said. They have medevaced one patient so far in the outbreak.
Free asymptomatic testing is being offered to anyone at the airport testing tent Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 10 a.m.
Petersburg’s emergency operations center has recommended that all non-essential businesses close. They’re also asking all essential businesses to use curbside service and to stagger staffing.
Travel is not recommended unless it’s critical. The EOC is also asking residents to adhere to the local masking mandate.
There have been 103 COVID cases in Petersburg since the pandemic began. 89 of them have been residents and 14 non-residents.
