Manager – Page 17 – City and Borough of Juneau

Ages 12 and up can get COVID-19 booster

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expanded its recommendation on COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to include individuals who are 12 to 15 years old. Now, ages 12 to 17 can get a Pfizer booster shot 5 months after their initial Pfizer series. (People ages 18 and up can get either the Pfizer or Moderna booster 5 months after their initial series.)

“We now recommend that all adolescents aged 12-17 years should receive a booster shot 5 months after their primary series. This booster dose will provide optimized protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. I encourage all parents to keep their children up to date with CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine recommendations,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a January 5 media statement.

As of January 11, the following Juneau providers are administering Pfizer boosters/vaccines to ages 12 and up:

Costco Pharmacy
- Walk in Monday – Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. (closed for lunch each day 1 – 2 p.m.); or make an appointment here
Juneau Public Health Center
- Walk in, or by appointment at juneau.org/vaccine or call 907-586-6000
- Availability every Wednesday and Friday in January 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- 3412 Glacier Highway (across from the Twin Lakes parking lot)
Genoa Healthcare
- Walk-in 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday thru Friday (closed for lunch 12 – 12:30 p.m.) or call 877-658-0304 for more information
- 1944 Allen Ct. within JAMHI Juneau Health and Wellness, Inc.
Juneau Urgent & Family Care
- Walk in 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday thru Friday, and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday & Sunday; or make an appointment here.
SEARHC’s Ethel Lund Medical Center
- By appointment or during vaccine/booster clinics on Saturdays, Jan. 15, Jan. 22, Jan. 29 at 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; call 907-463-4040 or sign up online
- 1200 Salmon Creek Lane

You can also call CBJ’s COVID-19 Hotline 907-586-6000 to schedule a vaccine or booster appointment.

For more information, email [email protected] or call 907-586-6000.

January 11th, 2022|

Jan. 11 public meeting on amending Waterfront Plan to allow for subport cruise ship dock; submit comments by Jan. 31

The City and Borough of Juneau is holding a public meeting on Tuesday, January 11, at 5 – 7 p.m. to discuss amending a portion of the Long Range Waterfront Plan pertaining to the subport in Downtown Juneau. The proposed amendment would allow for the creation of a dock facility capable of accommodating one large cruise ship as well as docking facilities for U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA vessels. Join the January 11 meeting 5 – 7 p.m. online https://juneau.zoom.us/s/83746838175 or call 1-253-215-8782 with Webinar ID: 837 4683 8175. CBJ staff will give a presentation followed by a Q&A session.

The language of the proposed amendment to the Long Range Waterfront Plan will be available at the January 11 meeting, and then available online January 12 along with the slide presentation. CBJ encourages the public to review the materials and submit comments on the amendment via email through Monday, January 31. Email comments to CBJ Tourism Manager Alexandra Pierce at [email protected].

The Long Range Waterfront Plan was developed in 2004. The proposed amendment pertains only to the tidelands portion of “Area B – Subport” and is based on a recommendation of the Visitor Industry Task Force.

For more information, contact CBJ Tourism Manager Alexandra Pierce at [email protected] or 907-500-8677.

January 5th, 2022|

With limited monoclonal antibody supply, Bartlett Regional Hospital implements prioritization criteria

Due to a limited supply of monoclonal antibody therapeutics nationwide and Juneau’s rapidly increasing COVID-19 case count, Bartlett Regional Hospital is implementing strict criteria for therapy administration. Criteria includes: individuals with immunocompromising conditions, such as active cancer patients for tumor or blood cancers, those who have received a solid organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system, and others. Also included for prioritization are unvaccinated individuals who are pregnant, over 75, or over 65 with certain risk factors.

Monoclonal antibody therapy is a safe and effective treatment that helps prevent severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. Bartlett Regional Hospital has been administering this therapy since January 2021. The latest criteria for therapy administration is based on draft recommendations of the statewide Crisis Care Committee for the distribution of the type of monoclonal antibody that is effective against the Omicron variant.

Antibody therapy is beneficial only in newly infected patients. If you think you or someone you know may meet criteria for monoclonal antibody therapy, contact your primary care provider for referral to BRH’s onsite monoclonal antibody clinic. Community members without a primary care provider can contact BRH at 907-796-8900 for more information.

The supply of COVID-19 therapeutics is an evolving situation. Bartlett Regional Hospital and the City and Borough of Juneau Emergency Operations Center will continue to monitor supply and expand eligibility criteria as supply increases.

For more information, contact [email protected].

January 5th, 2022|

Update on COVID-19 self-tests & state’s airport testing

Here are some updates on the City and Borough of Juneau’s free COVID-19 self-test distribution and the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) COVID-19 airport testing program:

Self-test distribution

CBJ locations offering free COVID-19 self-tests, as well as the Juneau Public Health Center, are either extremely low on supply or currently out of stock. Since December, CBJ has distributed about 12,000 test kits to the general public and about 5,100 to local organizations. The rapid antigen test can be self-administered from home, or wherever, and returns results in 15 minutes.

The tests that have been distributed so far are from DHSS. CBJ has ordered an additional 2,500 self-tests to supplement what the state is providing. CBJ will inform the public once tests are available again at City Hall Cash Office, all Juneau Public Libraries, Juneau Public Health Center, and Juneau Police Department. Thank you for your patience.

State of Alaska’s COVID-19 airport testing program

At this time, the State of Alaska’s COVID-19 molecular testing program at the Juneau International Airport is in place through January 31. This testing site, which is open to the public for travel-related and asymptomatic testing, is operated by Capstone Clinic through a State of Alaska contract. Walk-in testing is available 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. seven days a week. Testing may not be available for flights that are delayed beyond 12:30 a.m. Travelers who come in on a delayed night flight are welcome to go back to the airport the next day. Results are returned within 2-3 days.

New COVID-19 testing site in Juneau

In addition, Capstone Clinic has opened a private testing site (unrelated to the DHSS program) in the shopping center connected to AIH Alaska Industrial Hardware, nearby the Juneau airport. This a drive-up testing site only. Once you arrive, stay in your vehicle, call (temporary number) 907-357-9590 ext. 0044, and someone will come out to administer the test. Drive-up hours for this location are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Capstone will collect insurance information at this testing site. Results are returned within 2-3 days.

Read this for information on other places to get a molecular COVID-19 test in Juneau, including at CBJ’s Drive-Thru testing facility (register online or call CBJ’s COVID-19 Hotline 907-586-6000).

January 4th, 2022|

Juneau’s community risk level elevates to modified High; indoor masking once again required for everyone

The Alaska Department of Health & Social Services today reports 190 new individuals who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 in the Juneau community in the past five days. This number does not include people who’ve tested positive through a rapid self-test. Due to high case count activity and associated high number of close contacts, the City and Borough of Juneau Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is elevating the overall community risk to modified Level 3 High. At modified High, masking is required in all indoor public areas regardless of a person’s vaccination status, but all other COVID-19 Community Mitigation Strategies remain at Level 2 Moderate. Through this change, the EOC hopes to keep businesses open, government services running, and the hospital staffed; masking remains an effective tool at limiting the spread of COVID.

This community mitigation measure on masking is effective immediately:

Masks must be worn in all public indoor areas regardless of vaccination status. Masks must be worn in public outdoor areas where 6 feet of distancing cannot be maintained.

All other mitigation measures remain the same. Read CBJ’s COVID-19 Risk Metrics and Mitigation Strategies here for more details.

For more information, contact CBJ Emergency Operations Center Incident Commander and Deputy City Manager Robert Barr at 907-586-5240 or [email protected], or email [email protected].

January 3rd, 2022|