News

The Alaska National Guard is mobilizing to assist with the state’s coronavirus response, putting dozens of volunteer Guard members on active duty.

“If you have to social distance, this is a good place to do it,” says Gustavus Mayor Calvin Casipit.

Alaska’s largest rural air carrier, RavnAir Group, says it’s cutting its service by 90% amid a coronavirus-driven crash in revenue — a move that could leave dozens of rural villages with deeply diminished air service.

The federally-compliant REAL IDs were set to be required by October of this year for anyone traveling by plane throughout the United States.

The economic strain caused by the COVID-19 crisis is forcing more people to look for help getting basic necessities like food. 

The designation is based on things like the rate of infection among people who have not recently traveled or been in close contact with someone known to be infected.

The Legislature approved a budget last weekend that’s predicted to drain 70% of the cash left in that savings account, the Constitutional Budget Reserve.

As state, federal and local governments ramp up their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska has sent an emergency declaration to its 31,000 citizens.

According to a civil complaint, Juan Lyle Aune of Anchorage started purchasing packs of N95 masks in late February as concern about the coronavirus in Alaska started to spread. He later sold them on eBay and Amazon at over four times their purchase price.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration has ordered dine-in service at restaurants and bars statewide to remain shut down until further notice, as the number of coronavirus cases in the state continues to grow.

Despite largely negative input from the public, the AIDEA board voted unanimously to support a resolution to categorize the Ambler Road project as an Arctic Infrastructure project.

A top official at Bristol Bay Area Health Corp. sent an email to other managers this month promoting the falsehood that the coronavirus pandemic is no worse than the flu and is part of a political conspiracy.

Travel restrictions has also lessened demand for passenger service.

State PFD offices have been closed to the public since mid-March due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, prompting the extension.

Last Thursday, Alaska’s state epidemiologist said in a release that state health officials had “convincing evidence of community transmission” in Ketchikan, Anchorage and Fairbanks. But officials in Ketchikan disagreed.

The Juneau Assembly failed to pass an emergency resolution Tuesday that would provide $3 million in loans. But it could decide to revisit the proposal Wednesday.

With the shelter typically open overnight from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and other public buildings closed, many homeless community members have nowhere else to go.

Wind gusts as strong as 90 mph slammed downtown Juneau and Douglas on Monday. Recent overnight temperatures have been in the teens.

A dozen dental assistants formed a factory line and began assembling the masks.

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.