Tribal Emergency Operations Center: 1.15.21 Update on COVID-19

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

January 15, 2021

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.

Note: Due to the increase in cases statewide, certain areas of the State of Alaska's data entry are lagging far behind real-time. As a result, they have removed the active and recovered case counts from the data hub to prevent inaccurate or outdated information from being reported.

The total number of cumulative positive COVID-19 cases in Alaska as of yesterday is 51,466, including 296 new resident cases and 9 new non-resident cases reported. Of these cases, 46,196 are under investigation, 657 individuals had a recent history of travel and 4,613 were close contact, community or unknown. There has been a total of 1,152 hospitalizations, 43,992 vaccinations and 229 deaths. To view Southeast Alaska 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 TOTAL CASES

Southeast Alaska Total Cases by Community:

There are 1,902 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Southeast Alaska including 9 new resident cases reported: Juneau (4), Ketchikan (1) and Sitka (4). Of these cases, 60 have been hospitalized and 9 deaths have been recorded.

Haines Borough: 23
Juneau City & Borough: 1,098
Ketchikan Gateway Borough: 269
Petersburg Borough: 46
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area: 75
Craig: 9
Metlakatla: 11
Other: 55
Sitka City & Borough: 290
Skagway: 16
Wrangell City & Borough: 25
Yakutat-Hoonah-Angoon: 60

CASE COUNTS BY HIGH TRIBAL CITIZEN POPULATIONS

California*:

Confirmed Cases: 2,893,477
Deaths: 32,487
Vaccinated: 971,829

*Reported by the Los Angeles Times as of

1:39 PM (PST) on January 15, 2021.

Washington*:

Confirmed Cases: 271,643
Deaths: 3,876

*Reported by Washington State Department of Health as of 11:59 PM (PST) on January 13, 2021

UNITED STATES CASE COUNT UPDATE

United States COVID-19 Cases:

Total Confirmed: 23,478,669*
Total Deaths: 391,279
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 1:22 PM AKDT on January 15, 2021.

SAFETY TIP

How Can I Protect Myself from COVID-19?

Prevention starts with you. There are everyday preventative steps you can take to help reduce the spread of the COVID-19. Here are steps you can take to help ensure the safety of yourself and others:

Stay six feet apart in public.
Avoid direct contact with others.
Avoid direct contact with surfaces.
Wash hands with soap and water.
Use hand sanitizer.
Avoid non-essential travel.
Stay home if you feel unwell.
Cover your coughs and sneezes.
Wear a face covering when in public.
Work from home if possible.

RECENT NEWS & ALERTS

Nearly Half of All Inmates In Alaska Have Tested Positive For COVID-19 — There is a high rate of coronavirus among inmates at Alaska's prisons. State health officials say the general prison population should begin to receive coronavirus vaccinations in mid-February. (NPR)
Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 2 Deaths and 341 New Infections Reported Thursday — Alaska on Thursday reported two virus-related deaths and 341 new COVID-19 infections, according to the state Department of Health and Social Services. (Anchorage Daily News)
Tribal Health Groups Are Vaccinating Teens and Healthy Adults Against COVID-19, Which Hits Alaska Native People at Disproportionate Rates — Dave Nikolai got an unexpected phone call Wednesday morning. The 36-year-old engineer was suddenly eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination through his health care provider, Southcentral Foundation. (Anchorage Daily News)
CDC Warns Highly Transmissible Coronavirus Variant to Become Dominant in U.S. — The highly contagious variant of the coronavirus first seen in the United Kingdom will become the dominant strain in the United States within about two months, its rapid spread heightening the urgency of getting people vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted Friday in its most sobering warning yet about mutations in the virus. (The Washington Post)
The World Marks 2 Million Coronavirus Deaths. The Real Toll is Likely Much Higher — It's as if 10 of the world's largest commercial jets fell out of the sky, every day for an entire year. (CNN World)
Biden Unveils $1.9T Plan to Stem COVID-19 and Steady Economy — President-elect Joe Biden has unveiled a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan to end “a crisis of deep human suffering” by speeding up vaccines and pumping out financial help to those struggling with the pandemic’s prolonged economic fallout. (Associated Press)

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.