Tag: coronavirus

Canada has closed its ports to large cruise ships until July 1 in response to the spread of coronavirus. The restriction applies to vessels carrying 500 people or more.

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.

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.

This is a brief report from our morning radio coverage at Alaska Public Media. We call it a radio module, it’s only five minutes, and it'll sound a little different. But as we’re working on a full episode of the Iditapod for Friday, which will include talking to Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach about coronavirus concerns, we figured this is the fastest way to bring you some important news since we last left off.

Thousands of fishermen, processors, and cannery workers will travel to Bristol Bay in the coming months to participate in the commercial fishery. As of Thursday afternoon, no one in the region had been tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus

After an emergency meeting on Thursday the Alaska Folk Festival’s Board of Directors has cancelled the event.

Sayéik Gastineau Community School will be closed Friday, Mar. 13. School officials were notified on Thursday that a student was tested for “multiple viruses.” They are still waiting for the results.

Alaska's chief medical officer called it an isolated case that health officials believe they can contain.

The school district has also suspended all international, domestic and in-state travel for students and employees through April.

The University of Alaska system is extending spring break, moving most classes online and canceling events amid the threat of coronavirus. It's also asking students to leave on-campus dorms for the rest of the semester.

When it comes to concern about the coronavirus, the Iditarod is no exception. In Nome, the city council is considering calling off Iditarod festivities, and we’re also hearing about a big announcement coming from the Iditarod itself, though we’ve been told by someone close to the race that they are not going to be canceling the rest of Iditarod altogether. Meantime, we have a more positive update about Jeff King's health status, a race update, a story about a volunteer passing time tinkering on an old chainsaw, a listener question about who's the best dog whisperer and another dog profile, this one about Juke, in Karin Hendrickson's team.

The COVID-19 pandemic is driving some of that recent decline. But, prices were low even before the outbreak.

On the same day that Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed an emergency disaster declaration in order to free up resources to help the state prepare for coronavirus, the Alaska Legislature voted on Wednesday to approve $4.1 million in state funding to respond to coronavirus.

The City of Nome will not be hosting any race-related festivities due to concerns about the coronavirus.

Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz said Thursday that the company will cancel all cruises until May.

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."

The Alaska School Activities Association wrote that the ASAA/First National Bank state basketball and cheer tournaments have been postponed until further notice. The tournaments were set to start the week of March 15.

The Anchorage Assembly will meet Thursday in a special session to consider new rules for governing Alaska’s largest city during a coronavirus outbreak.

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.

The Cama’i Dance Festival in Bethel has been postponed until Fall 2020 out of concerns over the coronavirus.