A coronavirus case has yet to be confirmed in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Even so, regional leaders, businesses, local governments and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation are taking steps to slow the spread of COVID-19. Ten new cases were announced in Alaska on March 26, bringing the state’s total to 69.
But how much is the state doing to help rural Alaskans prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak? According to Chief Medical Officer Anne Zink, state agencies have worked with local governments and tribal governments to identify gaps in supplies. For example, Zink says that they are “real-time tracking the number of beds that are available.”
Bryan Fisher is the the incident commander for the state Emergency Operations Center. He says that the state is prioritizing who gets personal protective equipment, things like face masks and testing swabs, since supplies are limited nationwide. First in line are healthcare workers who must deal directly with COVID-19 patients. Next are first responders. Fisher says that the state has expanded the criteria for first responders to include cargo airline and Port of Alaska employees, both of who handle supplies being brought in from the lower 48.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy says that the state is working with local businesses to fill in supply gaps, like hand sanitizer, testing swabs, and face masks. But state officials have said that for the Y-K Delta, they are relying on local governments, the Native health corporation, and villages to respond first to a COVID-19 outbreak.
More than 20 villages in the Y-K Delta region are turning away non-residents, closing public offices, restricting travel between villages, and requiring residents who enter to self-isolate for 14 days. Bethel has passed two local emergency ordinances as a way to access relief funds, shut down public transit, and is recommending strong public health procedures and the following of the state health mandates.