The Anchorage Health Department released on Friday afternoon a list of establishments, primarily bars, where people “who were infectious with COVID-19 spent a lot of time.”
The health department is asking that anyone who has been in these businesses on specified days avoid people who are vulnerable to COVID-19, monitor themselves for symptoms, and check their temperatures twice a day for two weeks. .
The list includes the following establishments and dates:
• Anchorage Moose Lodge # 1534, eight case visits, exposure period: June 23 to June 28
• Panhandle Bar in Anchorage, six case visits, exposure period: June 16 to June 24
• JJ’s Lounge in Anchorage, six case visits, exposure period: June 15 to June 18
• The Gaslight Bar, five visits of identified cases, exposure period from June 25 to June 27
• Williwaw Social in Anchorage, three case visits, exposure period: June 20, June 21, and June 25
• Chilkoot Charlie’s in Anchorage, two case visits, exposure period: June 18 to June 25
• Cabin Tavern in Anchorage, two case visits, exposure period: June 24 to June 25
• F Street Station in Anchorage, two case visits, exposure period: June 20 and June 25
• Eddie’s Sports Bar in Anchorage, case visit, exposure period: June 18
• Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse in Anchorage, case visit, exposure period: June 25
• Pioneer Bar in Anchorage, case visit, exposure period: June 20
• Bernie’s Bungalow Lounge in Anchorage, case visit, exposure period: June 25
• Great Alaskan Bush Co. in Anchorage, case visit, exposure period: June 24
• Asia Garden in Anchorage, case visit, exposure period: June 24
• The Blue Line Pub & Cafe in Anchorage, case visit, exposure period: June 17
• Homestead Sports Lounge at Eagle River, an identified case visit, exposure period: June 26
• Matanuska Brewing Company in Eagle River, two case visits, exposure period: June 26
• Spurs Bar and Grill (formerly Four Corners Lounge) at Palmer, three case visits, exposure period: June 23 to June 27
• The Yukon Bar in Seward, two case visits, exposure period: June 23 to June 25
COVID-19 symptoms may include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or shortness of breath, pressure or tightness in the chest, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea, “the health department said in its statement.
It is possible to be infectious with the virus two days before getting sick and 10 days after. The department asks that anyone who develops symptoms stay home except for the test.
“With the current increase in cases and related contacts, our public health search capabilities are at their highest,” Anchorage Health Department Director Natasha Pineda said in a statement Saturday. “At this time, particularly in places where physical distancing and the use of face covers are unlikely to occur, the number of contacts is too large and complex for traditional contact tracking.”
The Anchorage Moose Lodge # 1534 on Arctic Boulevard, pictured on Friday, is one of the establishments where the city health department said people “who were infectious with COVID-19 spent a lot of time.” (Anne Raup / DNA)
The department warned that the list contains only confirmed exposure locations and that the virus is spreading rapidly throughout the city. The health department said it is working on a website that contains exposure notices, although the department does not list informal meetings.
Some people who tested positive for the disease “did not share or remember all of their close contacts or public places they visited,” the health department said.
It may take two days to a week before the Anchorage Health Department can find out where there were possible exposures. They ask that everyone in the municipality keep track of their contacts.
Pineda said Wednesday that “the city’s capacity to locate contacts is maximum at the local level.”
Several new cases include people who have dozens of contacts, as opposed to a few, which was the earliest case in the pandemic, as the city tries to temporarily hire more people to work on tracing.
Amid growing cases linked to multiple establishments, the Municipality of Anchorage and industry groups released a list of suggested guidelines for bars and restaurants Wednesday that includes measures such as limiting admission to people who cover their faces, rejecting music (to avoid people having to come to hear each other) and institute earlier closing times.
Nationwide, COVID-19 cases continued to rise in June, prompting some states to reverse reopens and restrict or close bars.
When asked at a press conference Wednesday about the possibility of re-imposing restrictions on bars, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said he would continue to observe the state’s COVID-19 numbers to make decisions if necessary.
“Everything is on the table to fight a pandemic,” he said.
But, Dunleavy said, there are emotional, financial and health problems that come with every decision made.
“It is difficult to answer until we really examine these numbers and see where they are going to go here in the next few days,” Dunleavy said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
[DebidoalagrancantidaddecomentariosquerequierenmoderaciónestamosinhabilitandotemporalmenteloscomentariosenmuchosdenuestrosartículosparaqueloseditorespuedanenfocarseenlacrisisdelcoronavirusyotracoberturaTeinvitamosaescribir[BecauseofahighvolumeofcommentsrequiringmoderationwearetemporarilydisablingcommentsonmanyofourarticlessoeditorscanfocusonthecoronaviruscrisisandothercoverageWeinviteyoutowrite[DebidoalagrancantidaddecomentariosquerequierenmoderaciónestamosinhabilitandotemporalmenteloscomentariosenmuchosdenuestrosartículosparaqueloseditorespuedanenfocarseenlacrisisdelcoronavirusyotracoberturaTeinvitamosaescribir[BecauseofahighvolumeofcommentsrequiringmoderationwearetemporarilydisablingcommentsonmanyofourarticlessoeditorscanfocusonthecoronaviruscrisisandothercoverageWeinviteyoutowritea letter to the editor or get straight if you want to contact us about a particular item. Thank you.]
