“We’re keeping an eye on things in town. There’s a lot of folks coming back. Our numbers coming back have been higher,” Cosgrove said. “(Monday) they had 279 people. We’ve been running a higher positivity rate at the airport screening center.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Pete Ostman, branch director with the COVID taskforce in charge of the testing centers, said the first round of asymptomatic testing, held in December, had been less effective.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“The first round of asymptomatic testing didn’t kind of take off, in a sense,” Ostman said. “People in town and nationwide were over the COVID.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
As they were planning the first round of asymptomatic testing, Ostman said, they weren’t sure how many people a day to expect at the Hagevig Fire Training Center.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/23825103_web1_2021-01-05.jpg\")
<\/a>This screenshot shows negative COVID-19 test results for a test taken on Jan. 2. A greater proportion of Juneau residents have been receiving similar results in recent days, according to city data. Test positivity is now below 1%. (Screenshot \/ Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
“We didn’t know the first time we did asymptomatic testing,” Ostman said. “Were we gonna do a thousand a day? Or were we gonna do 2,500 in a day?”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
This round, beginning on Dec. 30, 2020 and running until Jan. 10, has had more than 836 people go through the testing center.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“I have to say, we have an amazing testing team,” Cosgrove said. “I have been so impressed with how adaptable the team has been, at the training center and at the airport.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The format has changed somewhat since the early days of testing, with testers operating out of the training building itself.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“We trashed about three tents, and we finally said enough is enough,” Ostman said. “We eventually got away from self testing. We were getting an increase in inconclusives. We basically went back to staff swabbing.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Getting results back has also been streamlined, with some people getting their results in as little as a day, Cosgrove said, though 2-3 days is more common. The testing capacity could be rapidly expanded if necessary as well, Ostman said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“We can handle three times what we’re handling right now if there was a community outbreak,” Ostman said. “I have some of the hardest working individuals in Juneau. They don’t get thanks because they’re emergency workers. Every other day we’re changing the quarantine rules, the isolation rules, the travel rules.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The next step<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Even as Juneau runs more tests, eyes are on the next step in the fightback: vaccinations.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t ”There’s a lot of people who are very eager to be vaccinated,” Cosgrove said. “We’re continuing to trust the people who spend a lot of time thinking about this.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t CBJ and Bartlett Regional Hospital are planning on hosting a free vaccine clinic for people 65 years old and older on Jan. 15-17, the city announced.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “The clinic is pending vaccine availability. If vaccine availability is confirmed, CBJ will notify the public and issue more details on the clinic and how to make an appointment,” the city said in a news release. “Appointment scheduling may be available as early as this Friday.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t