Three more Sitka residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, pushing the town’s total case count to 51, of which 36 are resident and 15 are non-resident.
A news release from the Sitka Unified Command on Tuesday (8-18-20) reports that two of the new cases are males between the ages of 20 and 29. Both were experiencing symptoms at the time they were tested on August 15 and August 17 respectively.
A third patient is a male between the ages of 60 and 69, who was not experiencing symptoms when he was tested on August 14.
All three cases are isolating, and public health officials are beginning contact tracing.
Six new cases in two days moves the Sitka School District close to the threshold for shifting into the “Red” risk level, where buildings would be closed and all classes conducted remotely. Under the current Smart Start plan, “12 or more” new cases within a two-week period would trigger the shift into “Red.” Tuesday’s updated count puts Sitka’s total at 12 for the last two weeks, but school won’t begin until next Thursday, August 27. District officials stress that the Smart Start plan is subject to change once school begins.
The school board is scheduled to review its Pandemic/Epidemic Emergency policy when it meets in regular session 6 P.M. Wednesday, August 19, in Harrigan Centennial Hall. The meeting is also available on Zoom. The link can be found online at the district’s website.
