ANCHORAGE (AP) - School officials in Alaska’s second-largest municipality implemented a new policy requiring masks at sporting events last week in response to Coronavirus outbreaks at a half-dozen Matanuska-Susitna Borough district schools.
Three large high schools in the district — Colony, Palmer, Wasilla — are among five facilities closed as of Feb. 12 because of the outbreaks, the Anchorage Daily News reported. It was unclear when they would reopen.
Public health officials said some of the confirmed COVID-19 cases started with students mixing at school lunches, but most are attributed to extracurricular activities, including sports.
The district last week allowed activities to briefly resume — separate from the closed schools — but with a 100% mask requirement indoors. Previously, athletes could remove masks during vigorous activity.
Claudia Blydenburgh, assistant principal and activities director at Joe Redington Sr. Junior/Senior High School, said student-athletes would rather wear the masks than not participate.
“Coaches, athletes and families, overwhelmingly that’s the take that they have on it — that they would much rather see activities going with masks than everything being canceled,” Blydenburgh said.
The Mat-Su district earlier this month saw five schools shift to remote learning as more COVID-19 cases were reported. Officials reported 176 cases over the past two weeks, including about 25 each at Colony middle and high schools and 34 at Pioneer Peak
Elementary.
It is unclear how many people have been considered close contacts and asked to quarantine. District nurse Rene Dillow estimated that an average of 10 people a case is a “reasonable” number, meaning about 1,760 employees and students would be considered close contacts.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
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