Providing current news on the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) to protect the safety and well-being of Tlingit & Haida's citizens, clients, employees and communities.
CONTACT:
Tribal Emergency Operations Center (TEOC)
907.463.7368 ∙ communications@ccthita-nsn.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2020

Tlingit & Haida is committed to providing current information on the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to ensure all tribal citizens remain informed and have the resources needed to stay safe. Below is a brief update from Tlingit & Haida’s Tribal Emergency Operations Center.
The total number of positive COVID-19 cases in Alaska as of yesterday is 8,674, including 118 new resident cases and 2 new non-resident cases reported. Of these cases, 5,626 are under investigation, 507 individuals had a recent history of travel and 2,541 were close contact, community or unknown. There has been a total of 4,324 statewide recoveries, 294 hospitalizations and 56 deaths. To view Southeast Alaska resident and non-resident cases, case counts by high tribal citizen populations, and U.S. breakdowns, see below.

If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever with symptoms, such as a cough or difficulty breathing, contact your local healthcare provider for medical advice.
*The Alaska COVID-19 data is derived from the Alaska Coronavirus Response Hub developed by the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. Alaska resident cases are reported by place of resident, and includes Alaskan residents diagnosed and isolated out-of-state. Non-resident cases are reported by place of diagnosis. Communities with fewer than 1,000 residents are combined at the borough/census area level to protect patient privacy. Counts by residency status and place are subject to change as additional information is collected during case investigations. Source: Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
SOUTHEAST ALASKA RESIDENT CASES
Southeast AK Resident Cases by Community:
There are 471 confirmed resident cases in Southeast Alaska including 4 new cases reported; 1 in Juneau, 1 in Ketchikan, and 2 in Sitka. Of these cases, 123 are active, 346 have recovered and 2 deaths have been recorded.

  • Haines Borough: 5 (4 recovered, 1 active)
  • Juneau City & Borough: 291 (215 recovered, 75 active, 1 death)
  • Ketchikan Gateway Borough: 50 (39 recovered, 11 active)
  • Petersburg Borough: 7 (6 recovered, 1 death)
  • Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area: 31
  • Craig: 3 (2 recovered, 1 active)
  • Metlakatla: 4 (2 recovered, 2 active)
  • Other: 24 (15 recovered, 9 active)
  • Sitka City & Borough: 50 (37 recovered, 13 active)
  • Wrangell City & Borough: 13 (10 recovered, 3 active)
  • Yakutat-Hoonah-Angoon: 24 (16 recovered, 8 active)
NON-RESIDENT CASES IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA
Non-Resident Cases in Southeast Alaska by Community:
There are 148 confirmed non-resident cases in Southeast Alaska. Of these cases, 54 are active and 94 have recovered.

  • Haines Borough: 5 (3 recovered, 2 active)
  • Juneau City & Borough: 89 (53 recovered, 36 active)
  • Ketchikan Gateway Borough: 20 (13 recovered, 7 active)
  • Petersburg Borough: 5 (5 recovered)
  • Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area:
  • Craig 1 (1 recovered)
  • Sitka City & Borough: 16 (10 recovered, 6 active)
  • Wrangell City & Borough: 6 (5 recovered, 1 active)
  • Yakutat-Hoonah-Angoon: 6 (4 recovered, 2 active)
CASE COUNTS BY HIGH TRIBAL CITIZEN POPULATIONS
Case Count by States with High Tribal Citizen Populations:
The following are statistics for California and Washington states where a large population of Tlingit & Haida's tribal citizens reside.
  • Confirmed Cases: 814,327
  • Deaths: 15,684
*Reported by the Los Angeles Times as of
2:01 PM (PST) on September 29, 2020.
  • Confirmed Cases: 86,638
  • Deaths: 2,100
*Reported by Washington State Department of Health as of 11:59 PM (PST) on September 27, 2020.
UNITED STATES CASE COUNT UPDATE
United States COVID-19 Cases:
  • Total Confirmed: 7,180,179*
  • Total Recovered: 2,794,608*
  • Total Deaths: 205,729
  • Jurisdictions reporting cases: 55 (50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands)

*United States COVID-19 data is derived from an interactive dashboard developed by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at John Hopkins University that tracks the COVID-19 spread in
real-time. Data was pulled at 12:23 PM AKDT on September 29, 2020.
WELLNESS TIP
Timely Immunizations for Children is Important

Many parents have been hesitant to bring their children to the doctor for wellness visits and immunizations during the Coronavirus pandemic, but it is extremely important that parents stay current on their children’s immunization schedule, especially for infants and younger children.
 
As many as 80% of American children are missing their doctor appointments due to the Coronavirus pandemic which means kids are missing out on their shots for measles, mumps, whooping cough and HPV. Child vaccination rates dropped at least 40% during the week of April 5 compared to February. This is a huge concern for pediatricians. If we don’t make sure that kids stay on schedule with their immunizations, we may be inadvertently creating another public health problem that is vaccine-preventable.
 
The number of kids overdue for their first dose of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) is especially concerning. The vaccine rate has already dropped by 50%. MMR is a highly contagious disease and made a comeback in the U.S. hitting a 27-year high in 2019.

Although some health practices closed or weren’t scheduling well visits for children at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, many have since made important accommodations to safely reopen.
 
SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) is currently providing an off-site immunization and well-child check clinic in Sitka and a “drive-thru” alternative immunization site in Juneau.  For more information, or to schedule an appointment with your local SEARHC clinic, visit https://searhc.org/locations.
RECENT NEWS & ALERTS
COVID-19 RESOURCES
It is imperative that our tribal citizens continue to hunker down and shelter in place, follow federal, state, tribal and local health mandates, and stay informed on the COVID-19 pandemic to keep ourselves and our families safe.

 Tlingit & Haida's Tribal Emergency Operations Center (TEOC)
The Tribal Emergency Operations Center (TEOC) was created to enable Tlingit & Haida to provide timely, integrated, and coordinated responses to the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that addresses the four phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The activation of the TEOC is not due to any identified cases within the Tribe. All actions are aimed at protecting the safety and well-being of Tlingit & Haida’s citizens, clients, employees and communities.