With 21 new COVID-19 cases in Juneau, CBJ urges community to be extra vigilant
After the City and Borough of Juneau conducted another round of COVID-19 testing for employees at a Juneau seafood processor, 21 additional employees received positive results on Saturday. Of those individuals, three are Juneau residents and 18 are nonresidents. The employees of Alaska Glacier Seafoods are all in isolation and contact investigations are ongoing. Public Health officials will notify and quarantine additional individuals as appropriate. CBJ tested about 100 employees on July 22; about 40 results are still pending.
The company’s 61 cumulative COVID-19 cases since July 14 stemmed from an employee who contracted the virus through community spread. Of the 61 cases, 12 are residents and 49 are nonresidents.
In addition to the employees from Alaska Glacier Seafoods who’ve tested positive for COVID-19, Juneau has had 16 other individuals test positive over the same time frame. Of these other cases, Public Health Nursing in Juneau is preliminarily attributing them to a mix of community spread, travel (both in-state and out-of-state), and secondary transmission.
“It is paramount that community members remain vigilant in slowing the spread of COVID-19. When you keep at least six feet away from non-family members, wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and stay home when you’re sick, you’re not just limiting your own risk, you’re helping to protect the whole community. We need everyone to be doing their part,” CBJ Emergency Operations Center Incident Commander Mila Cosgrove said.
If you have even mild symptoms, call your healthcare provider or Juneau’s COVID-19 Screening Hotline at 586-6000, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
CBJ is reporting the 21 new cases ahead of the state. The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services will likely be reporting these cases in the coming days. Cumulatively, Juneau has had 77 residents test positive for COVID-19 since March. Of those, 20 cases are active and 55 have recovered. A total of 58 nonresidents have tested positive for COVID-19 in Juneau; 47 of these cases are still active.