Coronavirus Update - March 18, 2020

NEWS RELEASE 
For immediate release: 03/18/2020 5:00 p.m. 

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: CONFIRMED CASES IN ALASKA 

Wrangell, AK – The State of Alaska has just announced three new cases of COVID-19 in the State. Those include one case in Seward and two in Anchorage. A positive case in Ketchikan was also confirmed late yesterday. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Alaska to nine. There are no confirmed cases in Wrangell at this time. 

Much has changed in the past 24 hours. The Borough Assembly passed an emergency declaration yesterday afternoon related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This was done as a preventative measure which will allow the Borough to take advantage of federal and state assistance resources that may be made available to local communities.  

As of 6:00p.m. yesterday the City & Borough of Wrangell issued an emergency order suspending dine-in and drink-in service at local restaurants and bars. Take-out service is still available. The State of Alaska issued the same mandate, statewide, yesterday evening, going into effect at 5:00p.m. today. 

In an effort to further improve social distancing, public and private gatherings of greater than 10 people are prohibited in Wrangell until further notice.  

Based on new State Traveler Guidelines issued this morning, it is essential that all persons returning from outside the state self-quarantine for a minimum of two weeks immediately upon return to Wrangell. There are posters distributed around town outlining this request. 

All measures are being put into place to maintain the maximum protection of public health. Please be well everyone. 

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Contact: Wrangell Borough Clerk, 907.874.2381, clerk@wrangell.com