The City and Borough of Juneau is hiring for temporary, COVID-19 workers to meet, greet and screen arriving passengers at Juneau’s airport.
Some city and state travel restrictions are being relaxed starting Saturday. The new screeners will separate intrastate travelers from those coming from out of state. The out-of-state travelers will need additional screening. They’re supposed to have gotten tested before their travel. If they didn’t, or don’t have the paperwork showing their negative test results, they may be tested at the airport and subject to isolation until the results are back.
Deputy City Manager Mila Cosgrove said the state will contract with the city to beef up its existing screening team at the airport.
“So the state will be covering costs of the operation: personnel, supplies, etc. And we’ll be sending the samples we take up to the state lab for processing. And technically, it’s the Division of Public Health who will be reaching back out to the individuals who were tested, letting them know of the test results,” Cosgrove said.
She said they’ll likely need to hire at least 12 people.
Cosgrove said the positions don’t come with health care, but if a worker gets sick and it’s job related, they’d be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
That said, these workers will have protective gear. And Airport Manager Patty Wahto said the airport will require masks in public spaces soon. Separate medical workers will test passengers.
“We think it’s relatively low-exposure work,” Cosgrove said. “It’s really a great job opportunity for folks. So, you know, we essentially are not going to have a normal tourism season that we would normally have this summer. And I know a lot of people look to that type of seasonal work. And I think that this type of work will be very similar.”
Pay starts at $19.72 an hour. More information about the positions and the application process are on the city’s human resources website.
