Local COVID-19 mitigation measures go into effect Friday; businesses and public invited to Q&A
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City and Borough of Juneau Emergency Operations Center has produced local Risk Metrics and Mitigation Strategies that coordinate the city’s current disease risk level with a set of detailed and escalating levels of community mitigation measures. Read CBJ’s COVID-19 Risk Metrics and Mitigation Strategies here.
Under this rubric, the Juneau disease situation can be classified as Minimal, Moderate, High, or Very High, and each classification connects to required mitigation measures. Currently, Juneau’s overall community risk is at Moderate. CBJ first released the metrics and mitigation strategies August 12 with the plan to implement the measures soon after.
The following measures are effective as of 12 p.m. Friday, August 21:
- Bars must not exceed 50% capacity
- Indoor gatherings are limited to 50 people with safety measures, unless a COVID-19 mitigation plan is submitted and approved by the CBJ Emergency Operations Center
- Personal Services by appointment only, no waiting areas
- Gyms at 50% capacity
City Manager Rorie Watt asks affected businesses to help implement these changes and to enforce the mask ordinance in order to decrease Juneau’s overall risk level: “I’ve seen good compliance, but businesses and patrons can be better, particularly in bar settings. Nationwide, bars have been a source of big COVID spread events and we don’t want that to happen here. By implementing these measures, our hope is to reduce our risk level to Minimal and keep the community open. Let’s position our businesses and school district for success.”
City Manager Rorie Watt and members of CBJ’s Emergency Operations Center will be available to answer questions from the public, businesses, and media during a Q&A Zoom webinar tomorrow, Aug. 19, at 4 p.m. Join the Q&A here https://juneau.zoom.us/j/99220355106 or call 1-346-248-7799 or 1-669-900-6833 or 1-253-215-8782. Webinar ID 992 2035 5106. If you’re having difficulty calling in, please try one of the other numbers. The Q&A will also be simulcast on Facebook Live.
Community transmission has been trending upward in Juneau; these are the cases for which Public Health cannot identify the transmission source. Additionally, younger age populations are a disproportionate share of COVID-19 cases. These aspects of the virus contribute to the focus on risk of transmission in bars or bar-like environments. CBJ also urges community members to keep social bubbles small as family-gathering type events, like weddings and funerals, have recently been a major source of transmission in the community.