In a press conference today, Alaska’s Governor Dunleavy announced that the first confirmed case of Novel Coronavirus has been reported in the state. According to Dunleavy the patient is a foreign traveler who self-monitored and called ahead to doctors and was immediately assessed.

The patient was transiting through Alaska on an unnamed cargo flight. He was tested at the Anchorage Regional Hospital and released. It is unknown at this time, how many other persons disembarked from the plane into the state. No details as to the patient’s movements within the state were made available. According to medical experts, the virus can incubate for up to 14 days before symptoms begin to manifest themselves.

Dr. Anne Zink, the State of Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer said when asked for details, “I think it’s really important to emphasize I’m protecting people. I understand that you all want to know the details of this person, but again, our job is the health and well-being of all Alaskans, but part of that is treating each other with kindness and with respect and what we’ve really seen in other states is that when we identify information, people can be really aggressive, people can be really fearful.”

According to the state, 59 tests have been made on persons. Of those, 52 were made by state labs and seven by academic or commercial labs. All have come back negative.

Today, Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz made an emergency declaration in response to the revelation. “The COVID-19 virus poses a grave threat to our community and to communities across the world,” said Mayor Ethan Berkowitz. “Our strategy is to prepare and to position our resources to slow its advance and to minimize its effects. I want to emphasize that just as the virus poses a threat to each of us, all of us have a role in protecting ourselves and each other. We are in this together and will get through it together.”

Natasha Pineda, the Director of the Anchorage Health Department explains, “From a public health perspective, our efforts now are about ‘flattening the curve.’  It is critical that we position our community so that our local hospitals and clinics don’t become overwhelmed—we’re seeing now what it looks like when the capacities of a healthcare system are exhausted in other parts of the world. Anchorage has it within its power to avoid that fate, through early community mitigation. The good news is that this virus needs people to spread, and we can blunt its progress. The Mayor and I call on all members of the Anchorage community to do their part.”

Senate President Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, said in a statement, “We will continue to do all we can to mitigate the spread of this virus. It’s critical Alaskans follow the expert advice of our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Anne Zink: Wash your hands, practice social distancing, and do not touch your face. Following these simple steps will reduce the strain on our healthcare facilities and ensure our most vulnerable populations receive the care they need.”

Senate Democratic Leader Tom Begich issued a statement, saying, “The news from Dr. Anne Zink is not surprising. We knew it would be a matter of time before Alaska had confirmed a positive COVID-19 case. Thanks to Dr. Anne Zink and her medical team, we are as prepared as a State as we can be to prevent an uncontrolled spread of this virus. I know our Legislative leadership is also united in its desire to ensure the health and safety of Alaskans.

“Alaskans know how to pull together and get through challenging times. In 2018, Southcentral Alaska had a major earthquake which united us. We looked after our family, friends, and neighbors. We were safe and prevailed like Alaskans always do. We must continue the recommendations of Dr. Anne Zink and create social distances, continue washing our hands, and not touch our faces.”

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