Health

Three people are still in the hospital recovering from injuries sustained in a plane crash that happened during takeoff in Aniak on May 28. Federal officials say that engine failure caused a Alaska Division of Forestry plane to plummet into a pool of water in a gravel pit off the end of the runway.

The young girl from Quinhagak who tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week likely was not carrying the virus. 

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation has completed its initial round of coronavirus testing in Quinhagak. All of the rapid test results have been negative, but hundreds more are currently being processed at a state lab, according to a YKHC news release.

An Alaska Division of Forestry plane went down after takeoff in Aniak on May 28. The crash was announced by Gov. Mike Dunleavy at the start of a virtual town hall the same day. The governor said that all four of the people on the plane survived with bumps, bruises, and contusions. 

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation was not at the Bethel airport on Memorial Day to offer coronavirus testing to incoming passengers. In a news release, YKHC said that it didn’t know there was an incoming flight scheduled for that day, and has continued on-site testing as of May 26.

On May 26, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation confirmed a third case of coronavirus in an unnamed village resident, days after Gov. Mike Dunleavy lifted many restrictions that had been instituted to slow the spread of the virus. 

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation is urging all airline passengers arriving in Bethel to get tested for the coronavirus. YKHC CEO and President Dan Winkelman is also calling on the governor and employers to encourage volunteer testing.

Alaska businesses can open at full capacity on Friday and sports can resume, Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced Tuesday evening.