The State of Alaska ranked third most aggressive in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including first place ranking in total public health emergency preparedness per capita and public healthcare spending per capita.
To date, Alaska has had 371 total cases, with 277 recovered and nine deaths attributed to Covid-19. Yesterday one new case was reported while 14 people got well. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services updates the information dashboard every day at noon.
Alaska reported 13 people hospitalized for Covid-19 as of May 5th. We have 318 ventilators available. The purpose of flattening the curve is to ensure we have the capacity in our healthcare centers to care for all who are sick. By that metric, Alaska is doing a great job.
The best available science from the Alaska DHSS tells us that the majority of people infected by Covid-19 get well at home. It also tells us that the best thing we can do to slow the spread of this virus is to continue to socially distance, wear masks when in public, sanitize hard surfaces, and wash, wash, wash our hands. However, if you or someone you live with is part of a higher risk group, it is critical to take additional protective steps.
For those of you who are still skeptical that wearing a hot mask while sharing public spaces will make a difference, please read and enjoy this Reddit meme.
AKFN advocates both the wearing of masks and the wearing of pants in public spaces and encourages everyone to not be, “that guy.”
In response to the best available science, each fishing region is boosting their medical capacity in preparation for the summer salmon season. Here are a few examples of the work our healthcare professionals are doing in addition to State health mandates 17 and others in coastal communities:
In Bristol Bay, Kanakanak Hospital in Dillingham has upgraded its ventilators with the proper filters to support a Covid-19 patient while working to increase testing capacity.
Samaritan's Purse committed a 20-25 bed mobile hospital with personnel on the East side of the Bay in King Salmon, where Camai Community Health Center is also working to ensure available testing.
Processors across the State have increased medical staff on payroll to support their workforce while closing their campuses and requiring PPE.
And communities across Alaska are working with State and Federal governments to increase their testing capacity and work through evacuation plans.
Fishing communities are also beefing up their support for their communities and fishing fleets. Here are some examples of just a few of the things communities are doing to keep fishermen and communities safe:
Cordova has installed hand washing stations in the harbor and is implementing airport and harbor ambassadors to help folks understand the requirements in addition to increased sanitation staff.
Kodiak requires fishermen to file a harbor use permit with the City of Kodiak and has designated one of its elementary schools as emergency medical capacity if needed.
We couldn’t highlight every community or every effort to keep communities and fishermen safe, but we thank each of you for your work and dedication. We are in this together. Please keep up to date on the latest State and local mandates regarding your fishery by following local news outlets and checking City websites. And as Dr. Ann Jarris said during the Discovery Health webinar on vessel procedures, "If you take nothing else from this, remember that everything, literally everything, the success of the season, securing our food supply, the health and safety of everyone around you is in your hands. How you choose to act over the next few months will be the difference."
Take care of yourselves and each other out there, and mask up in public.
If you have any questions or suggestions for Mug Updates please email Jamie@akmarine.org.
