Central Peninsula Hospital announced earlier in the week that they are welcoming fabric homemade masks from the community, and are now offering commentary about how the effort has helped thus far and how the masks are being utilized at CPH.

Alaska’s job count was up 0.4 percent in February from February 2019, an increase of 1,300. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell two-tenths of a percentage point, to 5.8 percent. The comparable U.S rate remained at 3.6 percent.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is gearing up for a launch of their distance learning program on Monday, March 30. The latest step is the district’s new remote learning web hub, which launched on Wednesday.

Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska held a teleconference with members of the Alaska press on Thursday. They discussed the COVID-19 emergency relief legislation that passed the U.S. Senate on Wednesday night in a 96-0 vote.

All penalties on outstanding balances on utilities in the city of Soldotna have been waived, according to an online update shared to the city’s website on Tuesday.

The Alaska Legislature passed Senate Bill 120 on Tuesday, which grants Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Physician’s Assistants the authority to prescribe psychotropic medication, without consent, to patients in court-ordered inpatient care during a crisis situation.

Children in Alaska are encouraged to get outside and play safely, but discouraged from from indoor play-dates. Instead, a release from the Alaska Division of Public Health (DPH) recommends prioritizing playing outdoors with family only.

At least 19 Alaska residents are stranded in Peru because of travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak, according to Senator Lisa Murkowski.

President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for residents to obtain a REAL ID. He made the decision in a White House briefing on Monday. The move comes as a direct result of COVID-19 concerns.