Full Notification

This is Ketchikan Emergency Manager Abner Hoage, I know that many of you have seen or heard about the recent events where an individual arrived in Ketchikan, was tested for COVID-19 upon arrival but did not follow the quarantine instructions and instead attended several social events and went to public locations before being notified of a positive test result.

I know many of you are angry, hurt, disappointed, and even scared about the impact this may have in our community, I am too, but we are prepared for this, we have testing available, we have PPE available, our health care system is strong and ready, and our Public Health officials have done many contact investigations and are very proficient at identifying and quarantining those who are at risk.

While I don’t support the actions of this individual, now is not the time to express words of anger toward someone who made a few bad choices, but rather the time to support them and others in our community who are impacted.

We are a small community, we are a caring community, and we are a resilient community.  We stopped the spread of COVID-19 before and we can do it again if everyone does their part.  So continue to practice social distancing, wash your hands frequently, and wear a face covering in public. By doing this you will help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Ketchikan, and help protect our community. 

These are difficult times for everyone, so please stay safe and be kind. We’re all in this together. Stay Strong, Ketchikan!

Instructions:

Observe Alaska Health Mandates and Health Advisories