Government

Fairbanks recorded the most new cases at five, bringing the total to 27 in the Interior Alaska city. Another four of the newly-diagnosed Alaskans are from Juneau, two are from Anchorage, two are from Eagle River and one is from Kenai, according to the state’s health department.

Local officials in Ketchikan are weighing whether to allow idled cruise ships to tie up at the city-owned downtown docks.

At the March 13 event in Palmer, Rep. Don Young encouraged people to remain calm in the face of the “beer virus.” He blamed the media for stoking an overreaction and cautioned against spending money the country doesn’t have.

Anchorage officials are again asking people, businesses and medical providers to donate protective equipment “immediately,” including homemade masks, because of a shortage amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In the past year, cost-cutting, a summer labor strike and a mechanical failure resulted in months-long service gaps, both planned and unplanned, for Alaska’s ferry system.

As Alaska reported five new cases of COVID-19 Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 119, the state’s congressional delegation highlighted some of the features of a $2.2 trillion relief package Congress passed last week.

The bill would draw $1.1 billion from the state’s main savings account, the Constitutional Budget Reserve —  mostly because of the recent collapse in oil prices. That means the state’s savings will be near the minimum it needs to pay the bills.  

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Friday announced two new mandates to further limit Alaskans’ movement and travel within the state, as the number of known COVID-19 cases continues to grow, and the first Alaskan died in the state after testing positive for the disease.

In a letter to Gov. Mike Dunleavy, the lawmakers recognized that the order would “undoubtedly cause hardship for some Alaskans,” but that they believe Alaskans are willing to make the necessary sacrifices to keep their communities safe.