City assembly to revisit mitigation measures <\/a><\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t However, compared to earlier iterations, some restrictions have been lightened to reflect the community’s high vaccination rate. In addition, the measures now recommend masking for fully vaccinated people when the community risk level is moderate, as it is currently. This recommendation follows guidance issued earlier this week by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The updated ordinance and mitigation strategies are available on the city clerk’s website at juneau.org\/clerk\/adopted-legislation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Mayor Beth Weldon said based on questions she had been asked, she understood that confusion existed about what the assembly was considering.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “We are not trying to hunker down or close business,” she said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Mila Cosgrove, incident commander for the Emergency Operations Center and deputy city manager, echoed the mayor’s sentiment.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “The goal is not to shut businesses or impair economic activities. The goal is to stay as open as possible,” Cosgrove said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Making the case<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Before voting, Cosgrove briefed the assembly on the city’s latest COVID numbers. She outlined the reasons the EOC is concerned about the situation, citing the city’s 6% positivity rate on July 26—a number that has eased slightly since.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “These are some of the highest numbers we’ve had and it’s pushed our case count into a very high level,” Cosgrove told the assembly. “We had 150 total cases over 14 days. That’s the biggest number we’ve had yet.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Cosgrove said multiple factors are driving the case count, including two clusters. One cluster includes an office with nine positive cases and a second cluster is linked to a restaurant. She said that cases are primarily among residents, not visitors.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “We don’t have much case positivity among cruise passengers. That’s not a factor driving the increase,” she said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Cosgrove said that the city sees high amounts of secondary spread, which happens when family members catch COVID-19 from one another. She noted that community spread is high among young adults and that many have several social contacts, which makes contact tracing more challenging. She also said that case rates in children are climbing.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Incoming deputy city manager, Robert Barr, told the assembly that the delta variant is now the most prominent variant in Alaska and that it’s more transmissible and has a faster incubation period than the initial COVID strain. Barr has served as the planning section chief of the EOC since the outset of the pandemic in 2020.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “In the absence of mitigations, we would expect our numbers to climb,” Barr said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Cosgrove said that the city’s testing and vaccine operations are stable and running well. However, she noted that quarantine and isolation space are emerging concerns. In addition, she said that the region’s hospitals have severe system restrictions, which can lead to trouble when patients need to be transported via medevac to other facilities.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “There are people with acute illnesses that can’t get needed care,” she said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Cosgrove said that Bartlett Regional Hospital currently has two COVID-positive patients.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “They are not in danger but they are concerned,” she said, referring to the hospital’s status.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Officials urge health diligence as COVID cases rise<\/a><\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
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