In the COVID case count, Wrangell has had 20 positive COVID-19 cases with just one case currently active in the community. That patient is in isolation. The state of Alaska has had 7,365 positive cases to-date including 575 more cases this week. 248 patients in Alaska have been hospitalized to-date with 3 new hospitalizations this week. There have been 44 COVID-19 deaths in Alaska. Two of those deaths occurred over the last week. More information is available at covid19.alaska.gov.

If you are hosting gatherings that involve more than your own household, it’s important to make sure you’re able to maintain six feet of distance, wear masks, washing hands or using hand sanitizer, and not sharing food utensils if food is shared. These measures are vital to make sure schools and businesses can remain open, youth sports can continue, and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

Masks continue to be vital to stopping the spread of COVID-19. Adult and child size masks are available at the library, call 874-3535. The Wrangell Fire Hall also has masks, they can be reached at 874-3223. Local businesses are also selling masks in a variety of sizes. It is recommended that you remove your mask only by touching the ear loops or ties, not by touching the front of the mask. Make sure your mask covers both your nose and mask. However, mask-wearing alone won’t protect the community from COVID-19. It’s recommended that you wash your masks frequently.

The SEARHC COVID-19 hotline is (907) 966-8799. Free community testing is still going on at the SEARHC clinic on Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm free for anyone who does not have symptoms. You can get as many tests as you want. The turn around time for results is now about 3 days. Last weekend 75 people attended community testing. Over the last 7 days, 11% of Wrangell’s population has been tested for COVID-19.

Governor Dunleavy has declared September as Suicide Prevention Month in Alaska. Alaska’s suicide rate is 2x higher than the national rate. Alaska’s suicide hotline, 1 (877) 266-4357 is available 24/7.

Applications are due by November 1 for the Wrangell CARES small business grant program and Wrangell CARES targeted business grant program; the deadline has been extended. Fishermen are eligible to apply under the small business grant. Applications can be found on the wrangellcovid19.org website.