Update – Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO and Alaska Public Media
Alaska’s state government hasn’t received all of the medical supplies from the federal government that it’s asked for, so it’s turning to sources both inside the state and around the world.
The state requested more than 3 million N-95 masks from the federal government, and has received 165,000. It asked for 1 million medical gowns and received 9,400. It also has shortages of face shields, gloves and surgical masks.
Alaska Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink noted at the daily news conference on COVID-19 on Wednesday that there are global shortages.
“And so we’re working with manufacturers in the state as well as federal and local and international partners to try to obtain more personal protective gear and, really, more testing so that we can make sure that people are being screened, quarantined, tested appropriately,” she said.
Alaska has received all of the ventilators it asked for. It also received all of the requested Abbott kits, which provide rapid testing for the virus.
Zink said the shortage of personal protective equipment has led public health experts to think creatively about how to meet the state’s needs.
“I feel like I’m becoming a manufacturing supply chain expert, trying to figure out how we get, you know, supplies from one place to another and how do we develop it and how much lag time those things need and how much raw materials,” Zink said.
She said the coronavirus may be present in many communities that haven’t had confirmed cases.
“I think we all need to assume at this time that this is amongst our communities for the most part,” she said.
Zink said the state is working to increase its testing capacity. She noted that the percent of tests that are coming back positive is going up, and the state would like to be doing enough testing that it’s dropping.
The state also changed the guidelines for who should be tested. Patients at any facility where health care services are provided and household members of health care providers can now be tested at the state labs.
The guidelines previously said that those at increased risk for serious illness could have tests sent to out-of-state commercial labs; now, the guidelines say their tests could be done at the state labs. And people working in critical infrastructure jobs like in grocery stores have been added to those who could have tests sent to out-of-state labs.
People who don’t have symptoms are still not eligible for testing under the guidelines, though providers can use their discretion.
Original story – Rashah McChesney – KTOO
Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s latest COVID-19 press conference is scheduled for 5 p.m.
The governor, members of his cabinet and the state’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink have been holding these briefings almost daily since March 10.
They’ve shared updates on the number of people in the state with confirmed cases, announced public health mandates, and explained the administration’s strategy and rationale.
As of Tuesday, the state reported 13 new cases of the virus, and a total of 226 positive cases throughout Alaska. They also report that 32 people have recovered.
One more person has died, bringing the state’s total number of deaths to seven.
The administration has imposed 12 public health mandates that have reshaped daily life across Alaska to combat the spread of the virus. Those mandates and other Alaska-specific COVID-19 resources and information are available at coronavirus.alaska.gov.
During the Tuesday press conference they talked about the state’s response to the pandemic in rural Alaska. They answered questions about the challenges facing villages and rural communities — and about the partnerships with tribal and private entities that are providing equipment and services to those communities.
Alaska joined at least five other states in banning elective abortions during the coronavirus outbreak. That procedure, along with dozens of others, is listed as an elective surgery — state officials suspended those in mid-March. But on Tuesday, Dunleavy issued clarification about exactly which surgeries to stop.
Health and Social Services Commissioner Adam Crum said the state followed guidance from the American College of Surgeons about which procedures should be delayed.
However, the guidance the state refers to doesn’t recommend delaying pregnancy terminations at all — either for medical reasons or if a patient requests it. According to the guidance, pregnancy termination is a procedure that “if significantly delayed, could cause significant harm.”
You can watch today’s press conference live on this post, the governor’s Facebook or Livestream pages, or on 360 North television.
