COVID-19 testing remains an important tool in slowing the spread of COVID-19. These are reasons to get tested:

• You’re sick: If you’re feeling even mildly ill with new symptoms like fatigue, chills, cough, fever, or decreased sense of taste or smell, get tested.
• You’ve traveled: If you’re a traveler arriving in Juneau, take a test at the airport, avoid indoor public areas and crowded locations until results are back, and return to the airport for a follow-up test in 3-5 days.
• You’re a close contact: You’ve been within 6 feet of someone who’s tested positive for COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the person’s infectious period. A COVID-positive person is usually infectious starting two days before their test or before any symptoms that appear, whichever comes first.

If you fall into one of these categories, get a COVID-19 test by contacting your health provider, registering online here (or at bit.ly/registerCOVIDtest) to test at the CBJ’s drive-thru testing facility, or utilizing another testing option in Juneau. Travel-related testing is done at the Juneau International Airport through Capstone Clinic; do not test at the airport if you have symptoms.

If you do not fall into one of these categories, Public Health does not recommend you get a COVID-19 test. If you have spent time with someone (Person A) who’s a close contact of a COVID-positive individual, here’s what you can do:

If you are fully vaccinated:

• You don’t need to quarantine or limit your interactions. If Person A eventually tests positive for COVID-19, you should get tested 3-5 days after exposure.

If you are not fully vaccinated:

• You don’t have to immediately quarantine, but you should limit your interactions with others until you know whether Person A develops COVID-19. If Person A eventually tests positive for COVID-19, call the Juneau Public Health Center 465-3353 to talk about quarantine requirements and testing recommendations.

As an example, if your child is part of a quarantined classroom or if your child has been identified as a close contact within a school setting, the public health recommendation is for your child to test for COVID-19; it is not recommended that your entire family test.

For more information, email [email protected].

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reports 72 new individuals in the Juneau community – 63 residents and nine nonresidents – identified with COVID-19 for August 31. There are currently three people with COVID-19 hospitalized at Bartlett Regional Hospital.

The Juneau School District reports two individual who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 and were infectious while in school – one at Sítʼ Eetí Shaanáx̱ Glacier Valley (case is under investigation) and one at Juneau-Douglas High School (all classes operating on regular schedules). COVID-19 cases related to schools are posted on the district website as they are reported (click on the green “COVID-19 Cases” block). Find more district-related COVID-19 information at juneauschools.org.

Juneau Public Health reports these generalized case trends for the past week:

• There continues to be small case activity with one of the mines. The mine is conducting regular testing, all individuals who are positive are isolating, and close contacts are in quarantine.
• A lot of cases are coming from household spread. Once one person in the house is positive, most people in the household also test positive over the next week or two.
• Regular screening testing is showing some case activity in congregate living situations. Facilities are being extra vigilant in COVID-19 mitigation protocols.
• There is some case positivity on small and large cruise ships. Protocols are being followed closely and identified positives are not being allowed off the vessels.
• The School District continues to report regular case activity. They are monitoring closely and working issues classroom by classroom. Most case positivity is showing up in elementary schools as the age group is not yet eligible for vaccination.

Statewide, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reports 634 new people identified with COVID-19 – 601 are residents and 33 are nonresidents. The state is also reporting six deaths – four residents and two nonresidents – bringing the total number of resident deaths to 431 and the total number of nonresident deaths to 13. The resident deaths involve a female Anchorage resident in her 30s, a male resident of the Dillingham Census area in his 60s, a male Anchorage resident in his 70s, and a female Anchorage resident in her 20s. The nonresident deaths involve two men, both in their 70s, who died in Anchorage. Alaska has had 84,597 cumulative resident cases of COVID-19 and a total of 3,950 nonresidents.

Juneau vaccine update:

• 71.4 percent of the total population of Juneau has received at least 1 dose of vaccine and 67.6 percent has completed the vaccine series.
• 91.9 percent of the population in Juneau age 65+ has received at least one dose of vaccine and 89.2 percent has completed the vaccine series.

For more information, read CBJ’s Emergency Operations Center Reports here.

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reports 48 new individuals – 47 residents and one nonresident – identified with COVID-19 over the past three days. There are currently four people with COVID-19 hospitalized at Bartlett Regional Hospital.

The Juneau School District reports eight individuals who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 and were infectious while in school:

• two at Harborview Elementary (two classrooms quarantined)
• one at Juneau-Douglas High School (all classes operating on regular schedule)
• one at Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School (all classes operating on regular schedule)
• one at Auke Bay Elementary (all classes operating on regular schedule)
• three at Riverbend Elementary (three classrooms shifted to distance learning)

COVID-19 cases related to schools are posted on the district website as they are reported (click on the green “COVID-19 Cases” block). Find more district related COVID-19 information at juneauschools.org.

Statewide, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reports 1,155 new people identified with COVID-19 in the past three days – 1,111 are residents and 44 are nonresidents. Alaska has had 83,991 cumulative resident cases of COVID-19 and a total of 3,917 nonresidents.