ANCHOR, Alaska (KTUU) – As contact trackers have been overwhelmed with an increasing number of COVID-19 cases, the Anchorage Department of Health has decided to release the names of companies where people infected with COVID-19 visited for an extended period of time. weather.
The list does not include informal meetings and is mainly made up of local bars and restaurants.
“With the current increase in cases and related contacts, our public health search capacity is at its highest,” said Anchorage Department of Health Director Natasha Pineda. “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.”
[RELATED: Surge in COVID-19 cases pushes Anchorage virus tracking to its limit]The department is asking people who were at these locations during the given exposure period to monitor their symptoms and look for evidence if COVID-19 symptoms are manifesting. People can still be infectious up to two days before symptoms appear and up to ten days afterward, the department said.
“While this is a list of confirmed exposures, remember that COVID-19 is rapidly spreading throughout our community,” the Anchorage Health Department said in a statement.
Revealing the names of the establishments is only the first step, the health department said. Soon, the Anchorage Health Department will have a website to post exposure notices.
This is not the first time that companies have been named in connection with potential COVID-19 exposures. In late June, the Department of Health and Social Services issued a notice asking residents who had visited the Seward Alehouse or Yukon Bar on certain dates to search for the COVID-19 test.
The contact system has been overwhelmed as people interact with more people outside of their home or social bubble. The increasing number of potentially exposed contacts, combined with the increase in cases in the state, has made it difficult to contact all the people who have been exposed to the virus.
“At first, people who tested positive usually had a short list of close contacts,” said Dr. Joe McLaughlin, a state epidemiologist. “Now, as people mix more with each other, it’s not uncommon for someone with a positive result to have had dozens of close contacts, sometimes too many to name and call. That makes it very difficult for our contact trackers to keep up. ”
DHSS said it is working to expand the contact-tracking workforce, but for now, trackers will prioritize registering with high-risk individuals and citizens of rural communities with less access to health care.
While the Alaska Division of Public Health has followed up on all contacts in coordination with the Anchorage Department of Health and other regional health entities, the state is now partnering with more organizations.
Members of the Alaska Air National Guard with health training will be deployed to assist in contact localization efforts and the University of Alaska Anchorage College of Health is creating a program that will train contact trackers to be recruited directly into the Market Stall.
The businesses on the list are located in Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer and Seward. The list includes the number of cases already identified at each facility and the dates that people who were infectious spent “extended time” in business.
- Anchorage Moose Lodge # 1534: 8 – expiration period June 23-28
- Panhandle Bar: 6 – exposure period June 16-24
- JJ’s Lounge: 6 – exhibition period from June 15 to 18
- The Gaslight Bar: 5 – exhibition period from June 25 to 27
- Williwaw Social: 3 – exposure period from June 20 to 21 and June 25
- Chilkoot Charlie’s: 2 – Exposure Period June 18-25
- Cabin Tavern: 2 – exposure period June 24-25
- F Street Station: 2 – exhibition period June 20 and June 25
- Eddie’s Sports Bar: 1 – Exposure Period June 18
- Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse: 1 – Exposure Period June 25
- Pioneer Bar: 1 – Exposure Period June 20
- Bernie’s Bungalow Lounge: 1 – exposure period June 25
- Great Alaskan Bush Company: 1 – Exposure Period June 24
- Asia Garden: 1 – exhibition period June 24
- The Blue Line Pub & Café: 1 – Exposure Period June 17
- Homestead Sports Lounge: 1 – Exposure Period June 26
- Matanuska Brewing Company Eagle River Location: 2 – Exposure Period June 26
- Spurs Bar and Grill: 3 – exhibition period from June 23 to 27
- Yukon Bar: 2 – exhibition period from June 23 to 25
The high rate of spread of COVID-19 observed in bars and restaurants led the Alaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and Retail Association to launch new best practices for businesses. CHARR is asking companies to limit capacity, expand outdoor seating, and require all customers to wear a mask.
The warning occurs when COVID-19 cases in the state continue to reach all-time highs every day. On Friday, DHSS reported 60 new cases with 46 in residents and 14 in nonresidents. About half of Alaska’s total COVID-19 cases are active cases.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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