Updated Post | 6:48 p.m.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there were still some 275 appointments available for Juneau’s upcoming vaccine clinic.
Right now, health care workers and people age 65 and up are eligible under state guidelines. Local Emergency Planning Chief Robert Barr said it’s possible the state may open up the next tier of eligibility in time for the city’s vaccine clinic that begins Thursday.
“Yeah, if the tier opens very soon, then that would happen,” Barr said. “We’re waiting on information from the state.”
In the next tier, frontline essential workers age 50 and up become eligible. And so do people who live in congregate settings like prisons, shelters or psychiatric facilities.
If the appointments don’t get filled, Barr said the extra vaccines for the clinic will be kept frozen.
But there are still seniors in town who haven’t been vaccinated, and he urged the public to help get them appointments.
Eligible residents can sign up for an appointment at juneau.org/vaccine or through the city’s COVID hotline at 586-6000.
Deputy City Manager Mila Cosgrove gave an update on testing following possible exposures among some school populations.
“So far to date, we have not seen any additional positive cases come from those exposures,” Cosgrove said Tuesday.
Two of the potential exposures were identified last week. One was tied to a high school student who tested positive after playing in a basketball tournament, the other was a student who attended an in-person class at Auke Bay Elementary School.
Cosgrove said test results are still pending for a few of the people potentially exposed.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s latest public health disaster declaration for the pandemic is set to expire on Sunday, which could limit the response of Juneau and other municipalities.
Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt said the Juneau Assembly intends to pass a local emergency ordinance to keep things consistent after the governor’s declaration lapses.
“Yes, the governor’s emergency is going to expire. Yes, the Legislature hasn’t gotten organized to implement the authorizing legislation. But at the municipality, we’re going to pass a local ordinance that effectively mirrors the state’s approach,” Watt said. “I think for the Juneau public, it is a message of consistency and stability.”
The ordinance would maintain travelers’ COVID-related obligations when they come to Juneau. The Assembly is expected to vote on it Thursday.
Original story | 3:51 p.m.
The City and Borough of Juneau’s weekly community update on COVID-19 is at 4 p.m.
Members of the city’s emergency operations center will provide information about the local COVID-19 response and answer questions. Community members can submit questions in advance to COVIDquestions@juneau.org.
Watch on Zoom, Facebook Live or here. 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.
In a weekly report published Monday, Deputy City Manager Mila Cosgrove wrote that there were still 300 appointments available for the city’s upcoming vaccination clinic on Thursday and Friday.
“We anticipate that the state will open the next tier of eligibility this week,” she wrote.
Cosgrove also had an update on two possible school-related exposures identified last week. One was tied to a high school student who tested positive after playing in a recent basketball tournament, the other was a student who attended an in-person class at Auke Bay Elementary School.
Of the people potentially exposed who have been quarantining, test results “largely returned without positive results,” Cosgrove wrote. A handful of test results are still pending.
As of Tuesday afternoon, city officials are aware of 18 Juneau residents with active COVID-19 cases.
