The number of COVID-19 cases in Wrangell has increased since last week's edition of the Wrangell Sentinel. As of Tuesday, June 23, there are eight total cases of the virus in town.
The fourth case was announced on Wednesday, June 17. According to a joint press release from the city and SEARHC, the patient was an unnamed traveller. He was identified through the airport testing program and is currently in quarantine.
"So far, the State's airport testing program has proven to be effective," Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen said in the press release. "With Alaska reopening, the testing schedule and quarantine protocols must be adhered to by all travelers to reduce the chance of community spread."
Case number five was announced a few days later on the evening of Friday, June 19. This was a non-resident individual, identified through a routine testing program. Though the individual was unnamed, it was later announced that he was a worker at Sea Level Seafoods. The processing company released a statement shortly after the initial announcement.
"Following the protocols set forth in our Alaska COVID-19 response plan that was filed with the state and the city, this worker tested negative prior to traveling to Alaska, tested negative a second time within 48 hours of arrival in Wrangell, and was tested for a third time midway through his modified quarantine period," the statement reads. "The third test produced a positive result for COVID-19 despite the individual reporting no symptoms. The worker is currently isolating pending a fourth test on Monday."
Operations at Sea Level Seafoods were temporarily suspended as they conducted a cleaning of their facility, and according to their statement they are cooperating with the health department and are conducting contact tracing.
A sixth confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced on Sunday, June 21. Again, this was a non-resident traveler who arrived via Alaska Airlines, from out of state. According to a news release from the city, this person was instructed to quarantine themselves while they were awaiting test results.
Cases seven and eight were confirmed at the same time, in a press release on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 23. These two individuals are not residents of Wrangell, according to the city's press release, and were found to have COVID-19 during a routine testing program. Public Health officials are investigating the cases to determine a source and conduct contact tracing. Both individuals have been notified and are in isolation, according to the press release.
According to the city, two of these eight cases are considered recovered. Only six are considered still active.
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