A Grant Aviation pilot who works in Bethel tested positive for coronavirus on Aug. 11. The regional airline is going through its passenger list dating back to Aug. 3 to trace all contacts. Grant Aviation is working with the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation and the state to notify people who have been exposed. It’s unclear how many people were on those flights.
Anyone who has been on a flight that is considered exposed should quarantine for 14 days. Grant said that upon receiving the positive test result, they immediately began testing other employees. To date, no other employees have tested positive. Grant is deemed critical infrastructure and its employees are required to wear masks; planes are disinfected after each flight.
The news comes after YKHC announced the region's biggest spike in cases on Wednesday, Aug. 13. Five cases have been linked to previously reported cases. YKHC Chief of Staff Dr. Ellen Hodges says that while the cluster has been traced back to travel-related cases, she’s worried that Bethelis on the verge of community spread, which means cases that spread from person to person and cannot be linked to travel.
Anyone who has flown on Grant Aviation flights between these communities during the following dates are considered close contacts. If you are one of these people, please call your village clinic, or call 907-543-6949 if you are in Bethel.
Aug. 3
Morning
Bethel-Mountain Village
Mountain Village-Bethel
St. Mary’s-Bethel
Mt. Village-Bethel
Mid-day/Early Evening
Bethel-Chevak
Bethel-Scammon Bay
Scammon Bay-Hooper Bay
Chevak-Hooper Bay
Chevak-Bethel
Hooper Bay-Bethel
Aug. 4
Morning
Bethel-Kipnuk
Bethel-Chefornak
Kipnuk-Bethel
Chefornak-Bethel
Mid-day/Early Evening
Bethel-Hooper Bay
Hooper Bay-Bethel
Scammon Bay-Bethel
Aug. 6
Morning
Bethel-Scammon Bay
Bethel-Hooper Bay
Scammon Bay-Hooper Bay
Hooper Bay-Bethel
Hooper Bay-Scammon Bay
Scammon Bay-Bethel
Aug. 7
Early Evening
Hooper Bay-Chevak
Chevak-Bethel
Aug. 8
Early Evening
Chevak-Bethel
Aug. 9
Mid-day
Bethel-Hooper Bay
Bethel-Scammon Bay
Bethel-Chevak
Scammon Bay-Bethel
Aug. 10
Mid-day
Bethel-Mt. Village
Bethel-St. Mary’s
Early Evening
Mt. Village-Bethel
St. Mary’s-Bethel