Our 16 favorite photos of frosty Iditarod mushers and fuzzy muzzles
With temperatures plunging deep into the negatives on Tuesday, mushers and dogs sported a coating of frost when they pulled into Nikolai, a small village about a quarter of the way into the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
State of Alaska is exploring options for housing people quarantined for coronavirus
The State of Alaska put out a request Wednesday seeking "motel rooms, apartments, trailers, or other suitable dwellings" for people who may have to be quarantined for coronavirus.
To guard against coronavirus, Alaska oil companies are screening workers before flights to the North Slope
The companies met last week and agreed to "start screening all of their workers when they check in in Anchorage," said Heidi Hedberg, Alaska's public health director.
It’s sleep, eat and repeat in Takotna as Iditarod teams take their 24-hour breaks
The mushers and their sled dogs banked rest and calories during their longest rest of the race.
Maybe you need to look at some photos of Iditarod dogs taking naps in Takotna?
A snowy patch of land in Takotna quickly turned into a sled dog hotel on Wednesday, with napping dogs curled up on straw and under blankets throughout the afternoon.
Anchorage School District tells parents to prepare for the possibility of an extended spring break
The Anchorage School District sent an email to parents late Wednesday, saying it would inform them by Friday if "a cancellation is called either at an individual site or districtwide."
Cruise lines announce pause in voyages worldwide because of coronavirus
Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz said Thursday that the company will cancel all cruises until May.
Iditarod mushers will still cross the finish line in Nome, but the city has canceled its race-related festivities
The City of Nome will not be hosting any race-related festivities due to concerns about the coronavirus.
For those mushing the Iditarod trail, the ultimate form of social distancing, coronavirus news begins to trickle in
As news of emergency measures and coronavirus closures spreads, there’s at least one group of people that is almost totally in the dark: Iditarod mushers.
Anchorage School District will open food distribution sites during school closure
Roth says the schools that will operate as distribution centers were chosen in part because they are are situated in neighborhoods with the some of the highest need in the district.
LISTEN: This Anchorage skier flew 3,000 miles to his first World Cup race. Now he has to quarantine.
Ski racer Forrest Mahlen flew two days across the country, from Anchorage to Quebec City, for his World Cup debut. The coronavirus canceled it, and now he's headed back to Anchorage to quarantine himself because of his exposure to athletes from Europe.
Anchorage Fire Department responded to coronavirus patient; Three staffers are now self-monitoring at home
Meanwhile, the City of Fairbanks announced Friday that one of its fire department employees is being tested for COVID-19.
Alaska public schools closed to students until March 30, governor says
K-12 public schools in Alaska will be closed to children until March 30.
While the coronavirus sidelines other sports, the Iditarod mushes on
In some ways, the Iditarod may be the ultimate form of social distancing. Teams travel hundreds of miles through remote, rural Alaska. But, along the way, they also stop at small communities that serve as race checkpoints. And some of those communities are concerned.
As coronavirus concerns grow in Alaska, officials warn shoppers not to overdo it
Zidek said it’s unlikely the coronavirus outbreak will cause a disruption to the delivery of goods from out of state.
Alaska state basketball tournament canceled due to coronavirus concerns
In a statement, the ASAA says “MarchMadness Alaska is possibly the largest statewide gathering each year and ASAA would not be acting responsibly if we were to host this year’s event.”
Most Alaska villages lack road access and hospitals. Here’s how they’ll fight the coronavirus.
Since most cases of COVID-19 don’t cause serious illness, officials hope that most sick people can stay at home and monitor their symptoms. But they've also developed plans to move people to regional hubs or the Anchorage tribal hospital if necessary, and to provide alternative housing if the sick person poses risks to elders.
Alaska health department issues advisory for travelers returning from other countries and states
The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services issued an advisory Sunday recommending Alaskans returning to the state from other countries and other states practice varying degrees of isolation to halt the spread of coronavirus.
Anchorage suspends restaurant dining, bar service
Mayor Berkowitz has banned dine-in service for food and drink at restaurants, bars and breweries. The order also closes gyms, bingo halls and theaters, and it bans gatherings of more than 50 people.
Governor orders closure of Alaska’s state-operated libraries, archives and museums
Nearly three hours after the news conference, the state announced two new cases of COVID-19 in the Fairbanks area