To ensure the city qualifies for federal and state disaster relief funding, the borough assembly has voted to extend Wrangell's emergency declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the same meeting Tuesday night, the assembly voted to update Wrangell's COVID-19 testing measures for interstate and intrastate travelers on the advice of the local emergency operations center.
The city first issued an emergency declaration on March 17, 2020. That ordinance, which has been periodically extended through the year as the pandemic has stretched on, expired at the end of March.
The extended declaration grants Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen the power to issue emergency policies for the municipality "necessary to protect municipal operational integrity, and borough employee and customer health and safety during the emergency."
The declaration also requires the manager to notify the assembly before any emergency policy is issued.
Wrangell has seen 48 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, nine currently active as of Tuesday evening after recording nine cases in the past six days.
The pandemic's big hit to the community has been to the economy, especially in the tourism sector. In order to ensure the city is eligible for future funding opportunities to help repair the damage, and because the virus remains a threat to the community, the city administration recommended that the assembly extend the declaration to May 25.
"As you can see, COVID is still alive," Von Bargen said. "I wish it weren't. ... We want to make sure we have everything we need in place to capture whatever federal funding comes through."
After some discussion, the assembly unanimously voted to extend the declaration.
During the meeting, the assembly also unanimously approved updates to Wrangell's testing measures for in-state and out-of-state travelers. These testing rules were reaffirmed with minor alterations in late March, but the Wrangell emergency operations center brought them back to the assembly to reflect new guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control.
The measures require that all travelers coming into Wrangell from in state and out of state follow one of several outlined testing protocols. There is an exception for Alaska residents, who do not need to take a COVID-19 test upon arrival but can choose to quarantine for two weeks instead.
Under the newly revised protocols, fully vaccinated travelers are no longer required to get tested upon arrival or quarantine for two weeks.
"The travel testing ordinances were amended to reflect the guidance that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to practice strict social distancing while awaiting test results," Von Bargen wrote in her backup to the ordinance.
The ordinances, however, recommend fully vaccinated individuals get tested "if they have been in situations of high exposure or are returning and will be in congregate settings - but it is not required."
"We're trying to be as nimble as possible with changes that come either from the state or the CDC," Von Bargen said. "This is less restrictive for people who are fully vaccinated."
Also in the meeting, the assembly accepted a $125,000 state grant for increased COVID testing and vaccinations. Von Bargen said the money will be used for helping people in remote areas like Meyers Chuck get vaccinated, transportation costs for people to get vaccinated, and potentially for continuing local airport testing after the state discontinues the service.
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