COVID-19: Ravn folds, Court postpones trials, first case in rural AK

As Nome goes into its third week of school and business closures as preventive measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, there are statewide 213 confirmed cases and six Alaskans have died of the novel coronavirus. While most cases have been centered in Anchorage, Fairbanks, North Pole, JBER and the road system, a first patient in rural Alaska, Bethel, tested positive for the coronavirus, the Department of Health and Social Services reports. The Bethel case is the first for the Bethel census area and is associated with out-of-state travel. “We are working closely with the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation and local public health nursing staff to identify people who may have been exposed to this person and offer appropriate testing, isolation, and quarantine guidance,” said Alaska State Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin. “We are making every effort to respond earnestly to this situation to prevent COVID-19 from spreading in the region.”

There were no cases reported in the Nome or Bering Strait region yet.

A significant change occurred in the justice system when Paul Roetman, presiding judge for the second judicial district issued an order on Friday, April 3 that put a stop to all criminal trials. Per the judge’s order effective April 3, all jury trials, grand juries, superior court and district proceedings are suspended until the end of May. No civil trials, eviction hearings or weddings will be held. Hearings such as arraignments, felony first appearances, bail hearings, change of plea and sentencing hearings, adjudication and disposition hearings on PTRPs and habeas corpus applications, will be held telephonically or via Polycom.

The City of Nome has extended the closure of city facilities until May 31. City Hall remains open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The city has also announced that access to the airstrip at Munz Field, or City Field, is still available for owners of small aircraft. Pilots can fly to their camps but essential air travel services use permits are required if pilots fly to or come from any community outside of Nome that maintains an airport.

On April 5, one of the few bush plane air carriers, RAVN announced that they had an unprecedented loss of 90 percent of their passenger revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that they park statewide all of their 72 aircraft, stop operations and lay off all remaining staff. “These actions will allow the company to ‘hit pause’ and await word on its Federal CARES Act grant applications and other sources of financial assistance that will allow it to get through the Coronavirus crisis and successful restart operations,” according to a RAVN press release. RAVN was one of three air carriers with a contract to move mail to the surrounding communities. Now, RAVN’s portion of the mail contract has been re-allocated to the remaining two.

Bering Air remains committed to move essential passengers, mail and freight. Director of Operations David Olson said in an interview with the Nome Nugget that Bering Air “is committed to the communities and is still moving everything you bring us.” The enacted travel bans to only transport essential travelers has reduced their number of passengers flying to the outlying communities. Olson said Bering Air flies at a reduced flight schedule, but still flies to each village once a day, and twice to St. Lawrence Island. Bering Air also transports mail and freight to the villages, uninterrupted, weather permitting. He said the airline saw a 95 percent drop in passenger volume just after Iditarod, when the travel bans were first enacted and they scrambled to get everybody home after Regions basketball games in Anchorage. Olson said the company has not laid anybody off and employees are taking leave of absence or take their vacation time now.

Little Diomeders are looking at quite some time without travel as the weekly, scheduled Pathfinder helicopter trip for passengers is suspended for the time being. Medical emergencies will be flown out and the weekly mail and freight run is still scheduled, weather pending.

Norton Sound Health Corporation provides a daily situation report update. Listed in Tuesday’s update was the news that cloth face mask are now encouraged. The State of Alaska now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings. Make sure the face covering covers both the nose and the mouth,” the update says.

The state also issued a new mandate that requires “all patients, providers, hospitals, and surgical centers to postpone or cancel all non-urgent or elective procedures until June 15, 2020 to decrease the overall impact on the Alaska health care structure and preserve personal protective equipment.”

Governor Mike Dunleavy also called for a day of Prayer and Hope, to be held April 10. According to the governor’s office, it is an interfaith day of prayer so that Alaskans “join in prayer and reflection for Alaska in the midst of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, according to one’s own consciences and religious traditions. The Governor will host a livestream event during which he will offer a personal prayer for Alaska, ask for a moment of silence, and will be joined remotely by religious and community leaders across the State.”

As the federal response continues to be disjointed and states are bidding on the marketplace for medical supplies, Dunleavy made the request to Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham for needed supplies to be delivered to rural Alaska to supplement supplies the State already has in place. A Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 aircraft with medical supplies from North Carolina arrived at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on Monday, April 6. Samaritan’s Purse has donated approximately 17,720 pounds of medical supplies, including medical beds, masks, gowns, and other medical supplies will be headed to eight rural Alaska communities in the coming days, according to a press release from the governor.

The Nome Nugget

PO Box 610
Nome, Alaska 99762
USA

Phone: (907) 443-5235
Fax: (907) 443-5112

www.nomenugget.net

External Links

Sign Up For Breaking News

Stay informed on our latest news!

Manage my subscriptions

Subscribe to Breaking News feed