Tag: coronavirus

Ghosts of 1918 pandemic haunt Bering Straits villages as they face COVID-19 without water or sewer

In rural Alaska villages with no water or sewer and hard to find hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies, following the CDC guidelines to help prevent the spread of disease requires "being a MacGyver at all times."
An aerial view of Toksook Bay, showing snow-covered houses in a compact village with snowy sea ice in the foreground.

U.S. Census Bureau restarts door-to-door counting

The hand-delivery of census materials began in rural Alaska in mid-March, but was discontinued three days later.

Recruitment opportunities dry up, teachers back out as districts look to hire for fall

In Alaska, where more than half the teachers come from outside the state, recruitment and retention becomes even more of a challenge during a pandemic.

Anchorage playgrounds reopen as pandemic restrictions ease

The city closed playgrounds last month as part of broader efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Phase 2: Dunleavy announces plan to ease more restrictions, reopen bars, gyms

The state says it will also ease restrictions on intrastate travel, childcare facilities, and religious gatherings, among other plans.
Cruise shipts docked one behind the other

Carnival, Princess, Holland America cancel all 2020 Alaska cruises

The cancellations bring the total passenger loss to nearly a million

Seasonal cannery worker tests positive for COVID-19 in Cordova

The individual, who was asymptomatic, tested positive during a routine health screening while in a quarantine facility provided by the cannery.
City Hall in downtown Anchorage.

Anchorage pilot program to provide coronavirus relief for small businesses and renters

City officials said up to 100 eligible small businesses will each be able to apply for $10,000 grants to help sustain them, after the city ordered many to halt operations more than a month ago with the aim of preventing the spread of the virus. The relief program also includes funding to help pay rent for Anchorage residents whose finances have been hit hard by the pandemic, for example, those who’ve been laid off during the economic downturn.

After weeks without a fatality Alaska reports 10th coronavirus death

The patient, a man who was at least 80, was admitted into the South Peninsula Hospital last week.

Thousands of summer workers are headed to Alaska from Outside, where the infection rates are higher

“This is a question about levels of risk that Alaska is willing to tolerate,” said Bryan Fisher, the incident commander for Alaska’s pandemic response.

A Chilkat mask remembers how ‘we took care of each other’ during the pandemic

Lily Hope weaving a Chilkat blanket in 2016. (Elizabeth Jenkins/KTOO) Chilkat weaving has been practiced for hundreds of years by Indigenous people on the Northwest...

Under Dunleavy’s new CARES Act distribution, rural boroughs will get more funding

Three rural boroughs will get considerably more funding than Dunleavy originally proposed.

Unalaska clinic joins ranks of healthcare providers struggling to pay bills during pandemic

The clinic, which serves up to 15,000 people, says it has about six months of reserves left despite cost-cutting efforts.

What Alaskans learned from ‘the mother of all pandemics’ in 1918

Overall, the flu killed a greater percentage of people in Alaska than in any other state or territory in the U.S. except for Samoa.

UPDATE: After stock price dives, Norwegian Cruise Lines says it raised over $2B in liquidity

Stock in Norwegian Cruise Lines’ parent company took a dive on Tuesday, erasing more than 22% of its worth. That’s following news that the cruise line is seeking to raise $2 billion in capital to stay afloat.

Alaska Airlines reports first quarterly loss in over a decade, passenger demand 10 percent of normal

Alaska Air Group attributes the sharp decline to “unprecedented” impacts from Covid-19, which caused a sharp decline in passenger bookings during the first three months of 2020, continuing into April and May.

The faithful may now gather in person, but many congregations in Anchorage are keeping it virtual

Only a few churches around Anchorage decided to open up their doors to in-person sermons, despite new regulations that allow for such meetings.
A nurse in a white suit, mask and clothes holds a vial

Nothing ‘false’ about it: Sitka’s first coronavirus remains a positive case

In subsequent tests, the patient, a resident of a long-term care facility who had been in lockdown for six weeks, tested negative in a subsequent test.

While Alaska vacations are on hold, would-be tourists support Alaska businesses from afar

Tourists from around the country are buying online from Alaska's businesses after their trips were canceled, but tourism businesses are also hoping for a surge in Alaskan bookings.

Carnival Cruise Line cancels all Alaska 2020 sailings

The news brings the estimated loss of 2020 passengers to about 70% of what was expected.