News
Monday, July 13th 2020, 5:05 PM AKDT
Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink, well-known figures in the state’s ongoing efforts to battle the pandemic, spoke to Alaskans Monday evening in another livestreamed address.
The duo was joined by public health director Heidi Hedberg and Dr. Joe McLaughlin, the state’s chief of epidemiology.
Dunleavy touted the state’s more positive data: Alaska is fifth in the country when it comes to testing per capita and is the state with the lowest COVID-19 death count.
He noted governors in other states where cases are on the rise are implementing restrictions and statewide mask mandates but did not indicate he would be following suit.
“We don’t need to take draconian actions here in Alaska,” he said.
Dunleavy urged Alaskans to take small steps to reduce the spread, including practicing social distancing and wearing a mask.
“If we all just make a couple small adjustments, we can keep our numbers within a range that will keep our hospitalization and our death rates down,” he said.
McLaughlin said people in their 20s consistently have more cases than any other age group, followed by people in their 30s. He said there is not a clear reason why young adults are driving cases in Alaska, but they might be more likely to congregate in risky social settings.
“We really want to make sure that we’re messaging to these younger adult groups in a way that they really get and really understand and really compel them to do their part, because that’s what we’re asking is that all people just do their part,” he said.
As of Monday, people in their 20s and 30s remain the highest age groups testing positive for the disease, with 23% and just over 19% of the total cases, respectively.
In Anchorage, 28 more people were reportedly diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the city’s total to 444 active cases.
Mayor Ethan Berkowitz the same day issued a statement, pleading with Alaskans to adhere to renewed public health advisories:
“We are in the middle of a significant COVID-19 case spike. Our contact tracing capacity has been overwhelmed, and we must defend our hospital capacity. Contact tracing is critical because it allows us to know where the virus is and who has it so we can better contain it. Hospital capacity allows us to safely treat those who have become infected.
We know that this public health crisis poses a threat to our jobs and businesses, and we know what works to keep us safe. Mask up. Stay six feet apart. Wash hands. Keep our social bubbles small. Flattening the curve is how we stop the increase in cases. And, as we have seen in so many other states, it’s what we need to do so we won’t have to start shutting things down.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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