Dunleavy says 'people aren't stupid,' and can make their own vaccination decisions

ANCHORAGE (AP) - Alaska last week reported its highest daily number of resident COVID-19 cases so far this year as health officials struggle to keep pace with testing and contact tracing and hospitals juggle a surge in patients amid staff shortages.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy told reporters Aug. 26 that Alaskans should talk to their doctors about getting vaccinated “if that’s what they want to do.”

“We know what we need to do. People know what they need to do,” Dunleavy said. “They need to have conversations with their doctor and make a decision, if that’s what they want to do. If they don’t, then they have to understand that they run the risk of getting infected, especially with this variant that is highly contagious.”

As to whether that is an effective way to encourage vaccination, Dunleavy said, “This isn’t North Korea. You don’t dictate to people how they live their lives.”

“I think it’s the best strategy. It’s 2021. This isn’t some place in Europe in 1939. You have conversations with folks. ... You have conversations with your doctors. You have conversations with your friends ... People aren’t stupid,” he said.

Dunleavy was infected with the Coronavirus in in February. His office has said that Dunleavy decided to get vaccinated in June.

As of Monday, almost 61% of eligible Alaskans had received at least their first dose of a vaccine, according to the state health department. The national rate was 72%.

The governor on Aug. 26 announced plans aimed at increasing staffing to help with COVID-19 cases, including speeding the licensing process for new health care workers and seeking federal contracts for more workers.

The state’s chief medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink, said hospital staffing is a concern.

According to the state hospital association, hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19 are nearing pandemic highs. Combined with staff shortages and busy summertime admissions, Alaska’s health care system faces the threat of being overwhelmed, providers and state officials said.

Health care providers are deciding which patients get intensive care unit beds and are struggling to transfer severely ill patients to other overwhelmed facilities.

“As far as we’re concerned, the crisis we have been warning about is here,” said Jared Kosin, president and CEO of the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association. “And we need to act like that. It looks like it’s going to get a lot worse.”