Officials in Kake reported four new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, Aug. 21.
The town’s mayor, Lloyd Davis, announced via Facebook that all four patients received testing on Saturday, Aug. 15. The Kupreanof Island community of around 500 people reported its first case on Aug. 10. On Aug. 14, the Alaska Department of Transportation announced that five passengers who boarded the state ferry Matanuska in Kake were positive for COVID-19. Then, on Monday [Aug. 17] local officials announced three new cases in Kake.
In total, eight people have tested positive for the virus in Kake, according to local officials. A Nurse Practitioner at the town’s health clinic said they didn’t know whether those cases were connected to any of the cases on the ferry. Four of the cases in Kake are considered active.
The town’s health clinic is conducting free testing for all residents on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Those with COVID-19 are required to isolate for 10 days following a positive test result.
Following the town’s first reported case, Kake’s mayor restricted most travel in and out of the community. Travel is still permitted for critical personal needs or for critical infrastructure, like health care workers and law enforcement. All travelers must submit paperwork to Mayor Davis two days prior to their scheduled travel date.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to include information about cases reported aboard the state ferry Matanuska.
