Matanuska crew cleared after passengers test positive for COVID-19

The Matanuska docked on Friday, February 7, 2020 at the Auke Bay ferry terminal in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/KTOO)

The crew of the state ferry Matanuska has been cleared after everyone was tested for COVID-19, Alaska Marine Highway System officials said Monday.

State officials say all 47 swabs came back negative on Sunday. That’s following a report that at least five passengers tested positive after riding the ferry from Kake to Juneau on August 10.

The mainline ferry remains in Bellingham, Washington after last Friday’s sailing was canceled. Service will resume on Aug. 21 when the ferry returns north to Ketchikan.

Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska

Jacob Resneck is CoastAlaska's regional news director based in Juneau. CoastAlaska is our partner in Southeast Alaska. KTOO collaborates with partners across the state to cover important news and to share stories with our audiences.

Sign up for The Signal

Top Alaska stories delivered to your inbox every week

Site notifications
Update notification options
Subscribe to notifications