Update, 6 p.m.:
Juneau’s COVID-19 risk level went back to high Tuesday as case numbers continue to rise.
That means city facilities will close Wednesday and bars and restaurants will be under capacity restrictions.
During a community update Tuesday, City Manager Rorie Watt said the community’s case rate is concerning.
“It is a combination of quite a few cases in (the) unsheltered and general population and, in some cases, weakness in our information about the origin of some of these cases and the likelihood of further transmission,” Watt said.
The last time case numbers spiked in the community, bars had to close. That will not happen this time.
Instead, just like restaurants, they will be required to maintain 6 feet of distance between customers and keep a contact list of all patrons. Both are restricted to 50% capacity indoors.
Personal services like hair salons must be by appointment only and gyms can’t exceed 25% capacity.
The public libraries, Treadwell Ice Arena and the Juneau-Douglas City Museum will close Wednesday. The libraries will still offer curbside service.
The Dimond Park Aquatic Center and Augustus Brown Pool will also close, but will reopen on Monday for appointments only.
People arriving at the Juneau International Airport from other communities in the state where there are also high case counts will be encouraged to get tested and quarantine.
Watt said everyone should be wearing masks in public and continue limiting their social interactions.
“To be honest and frank, Alaska finds itself in a bit of a difficult time with regard to COVID. Our trends and numbers (are) currently not headed in the right direction,” he said.
Meanwhile, 62 people who are currently unsheltered have tested positive for the virus in recent weeks. Forty of those cases are active.
The Glory Hall homeless shelter is closed for day services and has put some people in hotel rooms. Staff are still offering meals for pick-up.
The city’s warming shelter at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center remains open.
Centennial Hall is also open to provide isolation and quarantine for people who need it. About nine people are in isolation there right now.
Original post:
The City and Borough of Juneau’s weekly community update is at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
City Manager Rorie Watt and other members of the city’s emergency operations center will provide information about the COVID-19 response in Juneau and answer questions.
As of Tuesday, at least 62 COVID-19 cases have been identified among community members who are homeless. Nine of those people are isolating at Centennial Hall, which the city reopened last week as a quarantine and isolation site. The Downtown Public Library, a popular daytime spot for unsheltered people, remains closed.
Some homeless shelters in Juneau decided to close temporarily last week in response to the outbreak among the medically vulnerable unsheltered population.
Community members can submit questions ahead of the weekly update to COVIDquestions@juneau.org.
Watch on Zoom, Facebook Live or here once the meeting is live. You can also call the city to listen by phone by calling 1-346-248-7799 or 1-669-900-6833 or 1-253-215-8782, webinar ID 985 6308 5159.
