Governor Mike Dunleavy issued an emergency alert to all wireless phones in Alaska on Thursday, at around 10:00 a.m. The attached YouTube video message is Governor Dunleavy urging Alaskans to return to the cautious mindset that was so prevalent among Alaskans earlier in the year, when COVID-19 cases were incredibly low compared to the rest of the world.
He reminded Alaskans of his 30 day Emergency Declaration, the extension he announced last week.
Dunleavy then directed state employees to work from home when possible, and made masks and social distancing mandatory at State work sites. Other businesses and municipalities were urged to do the same.
He did not issue an economic shutdown similar to that of this Spring, nor did he issue any additional health mandates. Rather, he implored businesses and Alaskans alike to adopt a similar common-sense attitude when it comes to “sacrificing a little more by changing your daily routines” to focus on safety. That includes possibly celebrating the holidays a little differently this year, without providing specifics.
He asked everyone to wear a mask, but did not issue a mandatory mask mandate statewide.
Alaskans can see a return to normalcy with changing behaviors that help curb the COVID-19 numbers, according to Dunleavy, but he did hint that more restrictions could be possible based on numbers over the next few weeks.
