Sitka’s going to add a new color to the bottom of its color-coded COVID risk alert scheme, but it’s going to take a lot of cooperation from the public before it’s ever put into use.
The Sitka Unified Command met on Wednesday (4-7-21) after a three-week hiatus. City officials shared COVID-related updates about everything from vaccines to mitigations for upcoming graduations.
Cases in Sitka spiked after spring break, with local health officials reporting over half-a-dozen new travel-related cases. Sitka remains at a “moderate” alert with 8 active coronavirus cases. Fire Chief Craig Warren said that beginning this week, there will be a new risk level added to the city’s COVID alert system. But it will take some time before Sitkans can celebrate reaching it.
“The yellow is not going to be the lowest level anymore,” said Warren. “There will be kind of a chartreuse green that is the lowest level. Right now it’s going to take us 12 days of no cases to get to that level.”
And as Sitka’s vaccination rate shows signs of slowing, rates for seafood processors continue to climb. Public Health Nurse Denise Ewing said that Silver Bay Seafoods is inching toward a 100 percent vaccination rate for staff. Ewing said she is holding more vaccine clinics for seafood processors this week.
Both Mt. Edgecumbe High School and the Sitka School District are planning for in-person graduations in May. And Sitka Interim Superintendent John Holst said that by the fall, he hoped school would look even more normal. But still not quite pre-COVID normal.
“We probably will be doing mitigation- maybe three feet. Masks I’m sure is going to be a part of that. But beyond that we’re going to try to get back to normal.”
Officials also discussed new CDC travel guidance and how to share COVID-Conscious resources for travelers who plan to visit Sitka this summer.
