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Ketchikan: Governor & Alaska public health officials give COVID-19 update; Confirmed cases in Alaska now total 12; Addresses Economic Crisis & Plans; Second confirmed case in Ketchikan; two new ones in Fairbanks; Still more tests to run in Alaska By MARY KAUFFMAN - During a press conference Thursday afternoon, Alaska Governor Michael Dunleavy & public health officials announced the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Alaska has increased to a total of 12 as of Thursday afternoon. New cases this week included cases from Fairbanks, Ketchikan, Anchorage and Seward.

During a press conference this afternoon, Governor Michael Dunleavy said as they predicted they knew, it's growing and as of today, Alaska has three news cases bringing the total number of confirmed cases up to 12 in Alaska.

The Governor said his administration will continue to adjust the protocols and will continue to do as needed. Nothing is off the table said Gov. Dunleavy.

There was contact today with the President of the United States, the Vice President, and others as well. Governor Dunleavy said there has been contact with other governors to understand what other governors are doing to address the coronavirus, and to learn more about what's happening in their states. States like New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, State of Washington and California have many, many more cases that Alaska does. These states have more people that are being hospitalized, and of course some of these states have had deaths. Dunleavy said, "We're fortunate, to this day, we've had no deaths in the state of Alaska. And we're gonna do everything we can to minimize that from occurring for the people of Alaska."

The governor again said, not only do we have a health crisis but and ecomonic crisis. The economic crisis in Alaska, as in other states, is really not something that organically occurred, but it was a result of state action in the Alaska administration's effort to combat the virus.

Dunleavy said, "So when we asked bars, distilleries, movie theaters, restaurants, and more to stop having clients in locales and their establishments this of course causes an economic hardship on not just the business owner, but the employees.

He said his administration is taking this very seriously and as As a result, there's a couple the Governor will be coming out with more approaches to dealing with the economic crisis, possibly Friday.

Dunleavy said, "We have to stabilize our economy, we know that this is a government induced situation, because of the health issue. And we believe that the government needs to be involved in this particular case, because, again, this is not something that's occurred because it was a bad business deal or, or one sector was not doing well. This is widespread across all sectors and so we are going to do everything we can to stabilize the economy."

Today, the Governor said he sent a letter to the Small Business Administration Tuesday afternoon to get ahead of things. Dunleavy's team is in discussions with Small Business Administration. There have been discussions with President Trump and the Governor said the President's administration will do everything they can to get the resources needed in Alaska and across the nation to deal with the economic fallout that's occurring in other states as well.

This action will enable small businesses impacted by the coronavirus up to $2 million in economic injury disaster loan assistance.

Additionally, the Department of Commerce Community and Economic Development has several loan programs available to small businesses. These can provide working capital to those that need immediate assistance and Governor Dunleavy stated, "We're going to make sure that this happens ASAP."

The Governor said he has tasked Dr. Tamika L. Ledbetter, Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, to ensure that Alaska's workers have everything they need to get through this time of difficulty. The governor said this is no fault of the working Alaskan, and he do everything his administration can to make sure that people are assisted as quickly as possible so that they can pay their bills, buy their groceries, take care of their medical bills, just as if they were working and employed.

In a news release, the Alaska Department of Labor encourages individuals whose hours of work have been impacted to file for UI benefits online at https://my.alaska.gov.  Instructions for filing benefits, the UI handbook, Frequently Asked Questions, and other resources can be located at: https://labor.alaska.gov/unemployment.

Quoting the Alaska DOL news release, due to anticipated increase in claims activity, the department asks that individuals first file a claim online and only call the UI Claim Centers if they have questions. Individuals calling the UI Claim Center may encounter long wait times and are encouraged to use the call back feature. They will be given an opportunity to select this option and receive a return call from UI staff versus waiting on hold for long periods.

During the press conference, Dunleavy said his administration has close coordination with the US Department of Labor, the Alaska delegation in DC., and working closely with the Alaska legislature and working to get red tape out of the way.

Gov. Dunleavy said, "And we need to move very quickly to help our state, our people in battling this health crisis, but as we mentioned the economic aspects as well. President Trump today signed House Resolution 6021, which benefits individuals who experienced barriers to employment due to the coronavirus, provides $500 million in emergency administrative grants to the states for unemployment insurance, provides $500 million to states that experienced at least 10% increases in unemployment and waives federal unemployment insurance requirements for work, search, and one weekwaiting period."

The governor said, "We also were able to talk directly with the President this morning, Alaska was, I asked the President to do everything you can to put a lot of this money that's coming out of Congress, and I have to thank Congress for working at an incredible rate of speed to put that money in more of a block grant approach to Alaska."

Dr. Anne Zink, Chief Medical Officer for the state of Alaska spoke during the press conference announcing three additional, new cases today - two from the Fairbanks area, and one from the Ketchikan area.

Dr. Zink said the details on their travel history is still unknown saying the two news cases from Fairbanks were people who had not traveled outside the United States in the last two weeks. "And so we're trying to establish if they were contacts to the other Fairbanks people or if these are new community cases."

To add the last update on their website, Dr. Zink said, "We had 513 tests that had been done, and that included the nine previous causes that were announced, these three additional ones will come out in the data tomorrow."

Zink said, "It's important to remember again that the test is a very important tool, it really helps a lot with containment. But if people are not symptomatic it's not nearly as useful. so it's not a good time to get the test. If you just traveled we want to watch for those symptoms."

She said, "Something that's just really hitting home, the more case investigation we do is that if you have mild symptoms if you're not feeling a little bit well, a little runny nose a little cough, even a low grade fever and you traveled up by the lower 48, or to another country you really need to stay home. And in general just if you're not feeling well, stay away from other people."

Dr. Zink said, "We're getting more and more data out about how long this virus lives on surfaces. Again afew months ago we didn't know this virus existed. We had initial estimates and information and that continues to change and updated. We try to bring you the latest and the most up to date information that we possibly can .If we had if we'd known about this virus for the last 30 years, we'd be able to have a lot more information for you but as soon as we get that information our goal is to share it with you so we can make the best decisions as individuals."

Thursday afternoon the Ketchikan Emergency Operations Center learned from the Governor’s press conference there had been a second positive test result for COVID-19 in Ketchikan. This is the second positive test result for COVID-19 in Ketchikan. This second individual also had a history of travel to the lower 48. Upon experiencing symptoms of illness, the individual self-isolated and sought testing through a Ketchikan clinic. The individual is the spouse of the individual who had the first positive test result in Ketchikan. 

Ketchikan Public Health officials have made contact with this individual and will continue to monitor their condition to ensure continued self-isolation. Public Health officials will initiate a contact investigation and reach out to any person who may have come into contact with this individual. Public Health will notify and isolate additional persons as appropriate. 

The Ketchikan Emergency Operations Center wants to reassure the public that the EOC is working closely with Ketchikan Public Health to identify anyone who may be at risk for having contact with this individual. The Ketchikan Emergency Operations Center will keep the public informed of any information that is needed for community health and safety. 

Specifically, if you have traveled outside of Ketchikan, it is recommend that you self-isolate in your home for at least 14 days after your return. 

The Ketchikan airport terminal building and ferry have been thoroughly disinfected and daily cleaning continues to be a high priority. The Ketchikan airport gift shop, the snack bar, and the bar are closed until further notice. Alaska Airlines scheduled flights are still coming into Ketchikan as normal. - More...
Thursday PM - March 19, 2020

Ketchikan: AMHS Announces New Boarding Process to Avoid Disruptions in Service; Travelers to be observed for symptoms of COVID-19 before boarding - The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) announced this afternoon The AMHS is required to immediately report any illness of persons on board our vessels to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A new boarding process has been put in place to avoid disruptions to service or a situation involving passengers quarantined aboard ship.

Travelers will be observed by AMHS staff during the ticketing and boarding process. If a traveler exhibits symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or other flu-like illnesses, they will not be allowed to board and will receive a full refund. AMHS is allowing customers to cancel any existing reservations without fees or penalties from now through April 8, 2020.

The health and well-being of passengers and crew is a top priority for AMHS. Quoting a news release, in response to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the AMHS is following federal government guidance to clean and disinfect the AMHS ships and terminals. - More...
Thursday PM - March 19, 2020

Ketchikan: PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center addressing COVID-19 - To protect patients, caregivers, and their loved ones during the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center announced they will restrict the number of people who enter the facility.

This is being accomplished several ways.

Effective Thursday, March 19, PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center will restrict all visitor access to the facility. Security personnel will be posted at the main entrances. Other entrances will be locked.

Individuals seeking emergency care for non-life-threatening conditions should use the Medical Center’s main entrance by the roundabout between 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. After hours, anyone seeking emergency care should use the Emergency/Ambulance entrance at Carlanna Lake Road. Security personnel will ask basic health screenings questions and check temperatures prior to entry.

Loved ones are encouraged to connect with hospitalized patients using smart phone applications, such as FaceTime, WhatsApp, or Skype, during this period of limited face-to-face support. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis in conjunction with the patient’s care team.

PeaceHealth Medical Group is also limiting clinic access to patients with scheduled appointments and essential support person(s) only. All Individuals without appointments, experiencing fever or respiratory infection symptoms (e.g. cough), must call their healthcare provider’s office before arriving to arrange for an appropriate care setting.

PeaceHealth Ketchikan has also suspended all elective surgical procedures until further notice. - More...
Thursday PM - March 19, 2020

Salmon provide nutrients to Alaskan streambanks
The Tuxekan soils are organic and metal-colloid rich Spodosols that have formed on alluvial terraces in the riparian zones of southeast Alaskan streams.
Photo By David D'Amore
For use with story only.

Alaska: Salmon provide nutrients to Alaskan streambanks - Adult Pacific salmon spend a great portion of their life in the ocean. But their life began along the banks of freshwater streams. Their life will end there, as well. These important steps in the lifecycle of salmon play a role in the health of streambank ecosystems.

David D'Amore and a team of scientists studied how different soils respond to the delivery of "salmon-derived nutrients." These nutrients come from adult salmon returning to their home streams, known as spawning. The study sites were forested ecosystems in Alaska's coastal temperate rainforest.

Aquatic and terrestrial scientists have studied salmon derived nutrients in these systems, but D'Amore set out to see if there was a difference in how these nutrients worked with varying soil types along the streambanks.

"The fate of salmon-derived nutrients will be influenced by the soil type in the riparian zone," says D'Amore. "These soils play an important role in the transfer of material and energy between terrestrial and aquatic environments. The nutrients provided by salmon can support microbial and plant growth. In turn, these organisms support the salmon and other animals that rely on food from the streambank ecosystems."

"Soils along the streams resulted from a series of alluvial deposits after the glaciers retreated," says D'Amore. "Two alluvial deposits were formed during the last ice age, resulting in two different soils. An older terrace formed Spodosols, rich in organic matter. They also have highly enriched organic-metal complexes. But there are also younger floodplain soils with little development. These two soil types offer a stark contrast in attributes such as acidity, cation exchange capacity, and organic matter - all which affect how well nutrients are absorbed and held in soil."

This difference in how the two soil types worked with salmon-derived nutrients added the novel twist for the research done by D'Amore's team.

Salmon begin life along the banks of streams that flow past the alluvial soils of the coastal rainforests. Once the salmon emerge from their egg nests, they are nurtured by the nutrients that support the food web in the stream. There, they are also protected by the woody debris of large conifers that fall into the stream. Once they are large enough to survive in the ocean, the salmon depart the freshwaters to spend 2-4 years in the nutrient-rich waters of the North Pacific. The adult salmon then return to their natal streams from the ocean to close the life cycle loop. - More...
Thursday PM - March 19, 2020

Analysis: New federal sick leave law – who's eligible, who's not and how many weeks do you get By ELIZABETH C. TIPPETT - On March 18, President Donald Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act into law.

The legislation is an emergency intervention to provide paid leave and other support to millions of workers sidelined by school closures, quarantines and caregiving.

An obvious question you’re probably wondering is, “How will it affect me?”

The bad news is that the law does not provide blanket coverage for all workers. Instead, it’s a confusing mess – legislative Swiss cheese, full of exceptions and gradations that affect whether you are covered, for how long and how much pay you can expect to receive.

I study employment law and have combed through the bill to make sense of it. The law also provides emergency funding for unemployment insurance and subsidizes some employer health care premiums, but my focus here is on the core elements pertaining to sick and family leave.

Here’s what I learned.

To figure out whether you are covered, the first thing you’ll need to answer is how many people work at your company.

If your employer has 500 or more workers, it is excluded from the new law. Instead, workers at those companies will need to rely on any remaining sick leave benefits available under company policy or state law.

Several states, including New York, California and Washington, are also considering emergency legislation tied to the coronavirus pandemic and may offer some relief for workers at these bigger companies. These workers can also make use of the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, which provides for unpaid leave if the employee or a family member falls seriously ill.

In addition, some large employers have made new accommodations for their workers. Walmart, the nation’s largest employer, for example, has extended its sick leave benefits for hourly workers. And coffee chain Starbucks expanded its existing sick leave policy to provide paid leave of up to 26 weeks if an employee contracts COVID-19 and is unable to return to work.

If your company employs fewer than 500 people, you should be covered by the new law. But there’s another exception: Businesses with fewer than 50 employees can make use of a hardship exemption if providing leave might put them out of business. - More...
Thursday PM - March 19, 2020

JOE GUZZARDI: BASEBALL SUSPENDED, FANS WON’T MISS LACKLUSTER GAME - I may be in the minority, but Major League Baseball’s decision to suspend the season until at least mid-May doesn’t bother me.

Long ago, as the game moved further away from the baseball I grew up with and loved, I became disenchanted with its direction. My list of gripes is long, but I’ll name just one of my dozens of complaints – the nonsensical homerun explosion. In 2019, batters hit a record 6,776 homers, 20 percent more than any season in baseball’s history. Boring!

When asked to identify baseball’s biggest problem, Pete Rose said that the proliferation of home runs tops his list. Rose said that in today’s game, every batter represents a home run threat. “You get tired of watching the highlights … every hit is a home run,” Rose said.

But for MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, an owner-friendly lawyer and baseball’s chief bean counter, the more homers, the merrier. Manfred admitted that juiced baseballs, which he approved and that contribute to the tedious home run burst, should be examined and reconsidered. Time will tell if Manfred is serious about returning to the old ball, but his previous actions prove that Manfred is the traditional game’s avowed enemy.

Dinosaur fans should brace themselves for baseball to soon become more unrecognizable. Money-mad Manfred, not content with baseball’s status as a $10 billion industry, wants to expand from 30 to 32 franchises, and to open up the playoffs to more teams. Manfred is greedily eying $12 billion as his goal.

Expansion candidates include Montreal, where baseball previously failed; Austin, Texas, which would have baseball’s smallest television market; and Mexico City, where Manfred is willing to dismiss economic, political and security negatives to boost merchandise sales. Also under consideration are Orlando (even though baseball has flopped colossally in Miami and Tampa Bay) and Vancouver.

Wherever the expansion teams land, and Manfred’s growth plan is an inevitable reality, they’ll be noncompetitive. Remember the original New York Mets, the Houston Colt .45s and the Seattle Pilots, all doormats for established teams.- More...
Thursday PM - March 19, 2020

Political Cartoon: Shopping chaos
By John Darkow ©2020, Columbia Missourian
Distributed to paid subscribers for publication by Cagle Cartoons, Inc.