Governor Mike Dunleavy held a press conference on Friday afternoon where he announced two new health mandates, as well as announcing another COVID-19-related death in Alaska. The death was a woman in her 60s, the first death of an Alaskan in-state. Also, 16 new positive COVID-19 cases were announced, making the current state total 85.
Mandate 11 relates to a statewide closure of non-essential businesses as well as strictly enforces the six-foot rule with regards to social distancing, as explained by Commissioner Adam Crum of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services: “This mandate, health mandate 11, is about social distancing. All in Alaska, except those engaged in essential healthcare services, government services, and essential activities, are mandated to remain in their place of residence and practice social distancing. The purpose of this mandate is to try to maintain a distance of six feet or greater of any individuals with whom you do not currently reside.”
He also explained how it impacts local businesses by ordering the closure of non-essential businesses statewide, effective Saturday at 5 p.m.: “The Governor has ordered the closure of non-essential businesses. All non-essential businesses are required to cease all activities in the facilities in the state, except for minimal and basic operations.”
Health Mandate 12 goes into effect Saturday at 8 a.m. and limits in-state travel: “Personal travel is prohibited except as necessary to meet critical personal needs, or work at a critical infrastructural job. Critical needs includes buying, selling, or delivering groceries or home goods, fueling vehicles, transporting family members to at-home care, essential health needs, or for the purposes of child custody exchanges, receiving essential healthcare, and providing essential healthcare to a family member.”
Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s Chief Health Officer, offered details on the new positive COVID-19 cases that were announced on Friday: “A total of 16 positive new cases today, that brings the total case count to 85 total positive cases in the state of Alaska. Nine of those are from the Anchorage area, one is from Girdwood, three are from Fairbanks, one is from Juneau, one is from Ketchican, one from the North Pole. Nine are male, seven are female. One is under the age of 18. Seven are between the ages of 19 and 29. Four are between the ages of 30 and 59. Four are over the age of 60.”
The mandates can be read at: https://gov.alaska.gov/home/covid19-healthmandates/
In addition to the health mandates, the Governor thanked those in the community who have been looking out for Alaska’s most vulnerable individuals, praised teachers for working to offer education to students despite school buildings being closed, and commended correctional offers for the risk they take in being such close proximity to others.