Tag: coronavirus

A white man in a red and black fleece jacket speaks at a podium in front of an American flag.

Dunleavy outlines steps for cautious reopening of the economy

Governor Mike Dunleavy said Monday that the state will announce later this week dates for opening hair and nail salons, restaurants, and retail businesses with added protocols to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.

Curbside pickup could be coming to Alaska’s marijuana stores, as control board advances emergency regulations

Right now, sales are only allowed to take place as they normally would -- inside the store. But, if Governor Mike Dunleavy approves the board's emergency regulations, that will change.
A person in a yellow suit marked LCCC prisoner as seen from behind

Early prisoner release to slow coronavirus spread? Corrections commissioner says it’s ‘not on the table’

While other states have decided to release some prisoners early in order to ease the overcrowding of prison's, Alaska officials say they won't be taking that step.

Sunday update: Encouraging numbers as Alaska coronavirus cases creep up

Five new cases were reported on Saturday, the eleventh day of five or fewer cases

Saturday update: Five new cases of COVID-19, plus new racial data on positives

Officials reported no new deaths or hospitalizations. And so far, 9,655 tests have been done for the virus in the state.
Dr. Elizabeth Bates runs through protocol with a YKHC employee at the COVID-19 drive-thru test site in Bethel.

How Bethel and other rural Alaska villages are preparing for COVID-19 | Alaska Insight

With the first case of COVID-19 confirmed in Southwest Alaska, state and tribal health officials are working to provide adequate supplies for...

Working to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in rural Alaska | Alaska Insight

Limited or no road access means many rural Alaska communities face challenges in delivering health care. With the additional strain COVID-19 is putting on local health care providers, how is rural Alaska preparing to stop the spread of coronavirus in their small, isolated communities?
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Experts warn of a “dark cloud” for kids’ mental health amid pandemic

During a press conference in Anchorage, mental health professionals offered advice for families on how to mitigate distress and long-term problems created by the unique social situation.

LISTEN: We’re still getting questions about COVID-19. We invited two doctors back to answer them.

Alaskans have been under orders to shelter-in-place to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But many still have questions about how coronavirus spreads. So we invited to two doctors to answer them.
An Alaska Native man stands on the beach with bots seen behind him.

Tribes sue over distribution of coronavirus relief funding

Several Native American tribes sued the federal government Friday, seeking to keep any of the $8 billion in federal coronavirus relief for tribes kept out of the hands of for-profit Alaska Native corporations.

Alaska businesses got $922 million from PPP before the federal well ran dry

“I know there's probably great despair or fear or panic for those folks who haven't heard from their financial institution ... but I think there is more to come on this."

ConocoPhillips cuts spending in Alaska by another $200M as oil prices sink

ConocoPhillips said Thursday that it will cut capital spending in Alaska by another $200 million as demand plummets and oil prices tumble to an 18-year low. That’s on top of a $200 million reduction the oil giant announced last month.
A white man in a red and black fleece jacket speaks at a podium in front of an American flag.

Dunleavy on Trump’s May 1 reopening goal: ‘We’re going to be charting our own course’

The governor said he wants to reopen sectors of Alaska’s economy as quickly as possible, but “not at the expense of the health of Alaskans.”

Legal experts, legislators push back on Dunleavy’s claim that CARES Act funding will fill in budget vetoes

The question is who controls the $1.25 billion that the state of Alaska got from the CARES Act, the governor or the legislature?

Seventh staffer at Lemon Creek Correctional tests positive; inmates ask for more cleaning supplies

An inmate at the Juneau facility says that no new cleaning supplies have been distributed since the beginning of the pandemic.
A ferry at a dock with a mountain in the background at twilight

Alaska Marine Highway won’t expand ferry service until COVID-19 travel restrictions are eased

The ferry system says it is developing a reduced service schedule to match the drop in demand and crew availability.
A grean lump with yellow dots

Some conservatives are pushing to reopen Alaska’s economy. But elected officials, doctors and economists urge caution.

There's building pressure to reopen the economy from political conservatives at both the state and national level. But elected officials and experts describe Alaska's low case count as hard-won and tenuous, and they say that resuming economic activity will have to proceed slowly and carefully.

LISTEN: Take a break from pandemic stress with some help from Alaska musicians and writers

With the stress of sheltering in our homes and a daily barrage of worrisome news about the global pandemic, it’s important to find time to decompress, relax and find hope for the future.

LISTEN: Anchorage comics find an outlet and an audience at drive-in stand-up comedy shows

A local act in Anchorage turns to an old model of socially distant entertainment, to provide a coronavirus compliant comedy show that's drawn dozens out of their homes.
An Alaska Native man stands on the beach with bots seen behind him.

Tribes want to exclude Alaska Native Corporations from $8 billion coronavirus fund

Alaska’s Congressional delegation says the CARES Act allows ANCs to obtain some of the money, too.