Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Breaking: Two COVID-19 cases in Fairbanks

According to the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Foundation, two people in the Fairbanks area have tested positive for COVID-19. Sources in the Governor’s Office confirmed the reports and the hospital is holding a press conference at this hour.

These are the first confirmed community cases of the coronavirus. The first case in Alaska was a cargo pilot on a jet from Asia, who developed symptoms enroute to Alaska and took stringent precautions before and after landing.

Both of the Fairbanks men who tested positive are stable and do not require hospitalization.

Both were older Alaskans and these are considered travel-related cases because the men were in communities that had sustained outbreaks of community transmission, although it unclear if they had traveled together.

The men had been back in Fairbanks for a “good period of time” before they were diagnosed, said Dr. Anne Zink, who reiterated the importance of people traveling from the Lower 48 needing to self-quarantine. The two men are in isolation, as are their families.

The first patient was seen Sunday night in the emergency department and was tested. He has been isolated in his home since then, said Michael Burton, an emergency medicine physician at the Fairbanks hospital.

Burton said any patient that comes in is held in isolation and then the room is cleaned afterward.

At this time these cases do not seem to be from community to community spread because both of these individuals had been traveling in the Lower 48, according to the Office of the Governor.

“I want to commend Fairbanks Memorial Hospital for its response to these two cases,” said Governor Dunleavy. “The preparation and training staff members have done not only in the recent weeks, but over the years has prepared them for today. We knew there would be cases in Alaska and over time we are expecting more cases.”

“Even as we expect more cases in Alaska, we must remember each case is a person diagnosed with COVID-19,” said Dr. Anne Zink. “Now and in the coming months we must always show compassion for the patients, but also the staff and the community. As we do this we must also remember the guidance we share with you in hopes of preventing and slowing the spread of this pandemic across our state.”

Yesterday the State issued guidance for returning travelers:

If you are at Medium Risk please take these precautions for travelers returning within 14 days from outside of Alaska (including the rest of the United States) you should:

Discuss your work situation with your employer before returning to work.
Minimize contact with people as much as possible, self-monitor and practice social distancing.
This may mean not going to work or school if you cannot safely be distanced from others – especially if you traveled in a location where community transmission is occurring.


https://mustreadalaska.com/breaking-two-covid-19-cases-in-fairbanks/

6 total as of this morning. It will boom in the coming days.

We are on a roll!

Coming to a place near all of us.

I see they are planning on using the Sullivan to house the homeless.

Good plan, getting them all infected at once to get the dying over with quick....instead of dying alone one by one in their squalor camps. Should cut down on the man-power requirements and time dragging them out of the alleys and trees. Summer is coming: they won't keep well when it does.

It will also keep them from wandering around so much, infecting everyone they come in contact with and contaminating all kinds of things the public touches.

The flaw is that I don't think they can be forced to be tested, nor go into Sullivan against their will, nor be restricted in their movements around town.

Well, the spring bears have to eat too.

Had our first case down here. Guy was in contact with lots of folks at the Borough Office where he works.

It's not a matter of if, but when . . .

I hope they cancel the entire cruise ship season. 1.3 Million less visitors and 3rd world staffers.

The Ben Boeke, not the Sullivan...

Talking with some fishing guides yesterday and they are contemplating the Worst/Best fishing season ever. No one annoying them in the boat, just fishing for themselves!

MEH.....

Actually, both. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anc...ss-as-city-braces-for-coronavirus-cases/

The city is preparing to convert Sullivan Arena into a mass shelter for the homeless as Anchorage braces for a possible onslaught of novel coronavirus cases.

The 32,000-square-foot arena, as well as the adjacent Ben Boeke Ice Arena, are both owned by the Municipality of Anchorage. They will give the homeless a place to sleep at least 6 feet apart, wash up and eat meals. The goal is to help slow down the rate of COVID-19 transmission in Alaska’s biggest city. Doors are expected to open by week’s end, according to the city’s top real estate and economic development official.

Officials chose Ben Boeke over the weekend as the best option for an emergency homeless shelter. Their hope is to alleviate extreme crowding at the Brother Francis Shelter, where many of the 240 clients sleep mat to mat, creating the potential for disease sharing. Health experts say COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus, spreads mainly person to person through individuals who are in close contact.

Workers at Ben Boeke were seen Monday morning removing candy machines as they convert the ice arena into a shelter.

As the COVID-19 crisis grew over the weekend, the city began to rethink its calculations at Ben Boeke, realizing it needed more space. It also followed new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that 6, rather than 3, feet of space is needed between cots or mats at shelters, said Chris Schutte, Anchorage’s director of economic and community development.

Get out and about. Its good for you.

Yeah, just read they were going to need both...

That should encourage rampant spread of the virus. How will "social distancing" be facilitated?

They could not use just the Boeke because they decided the cots need to be 6' apart, instead of 3. At Brother Francis they touch....

Double entendre intended...

Now it’s turning into rumors about cases. My fav was that a jo ho in town had it

I can drive up the Parks without the road turtles getting in my way.

I have zero interactions with anyone off a cruise ship, but it will be a bummer for the folks who go bankrupt from this whole deal if the cruise ships don’t show up. Like them or not, they are a big part of the economy.

Yep. And not just cruise. I already know a bunch of folks who have cancelled their summer AK trips which are not cruise related.
With the current oil market, I fear we are headed for some tough sledding.

2 more cases on JBER.

Well with almost 20k posts since aug 2006 you got the social distancing figured out...

When you got nothing, go after the irrelevant [bleep] that nobody cares about. lol

I wouldn’t call you irrelevant, lonely, but not irrelevant. Crappy moose hunter. But hey even the losers get lucky once in awhile...

Knowing John and reading some of your chit, worthless piece of chit fits you to a T and FAR from Johns character.

Cool story bro.

You're sure like to talk a lot of [bleep], put your money where you cockhole is and come up here and show us how it's done. Or you could save a lot of embarrassment and simply just STFU.

Always willing to help someone get a moose. Send me a PM and I’ll help you out.

I don't need any help from any DSMF, especially a ladyboy such as yourself.

For someone that moose hunts as long as you do you sure don’t kill moose consistently.

No shame in asking for help.

Well feller, My personal dealings with Sitka Deer have been very smooth. I sold him some Ackerman dies many years ago in our first deal and he paid promptly.

You have no idea of my success rate hunting moose but go ahead and continue to make an a$$ of yourself.

Wrong thread butch.

You got the message young feller.