Another Yakutat resident has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The person received a positive COVID-19 test result Wednesday, July 29 after taking an Abbott rapid test administered by the Yakutat Community Health Center. Because of privacy concerns, the State of Alaska isn’t generally releasing demographic information for COVID-19 patients in communities with under 1,000 residents.
The small community of around six-hundred people now has six active cases, according to a press release from Yakutat Public Safety. That includes five resident cases and one nonresident case. The first case was reported Thursday, July 23 from a resident who’d recently traveled outside of the community. All individuals who have tested positive have been assigned a State of Alaska case worker and are required to isolate, according to the press release.
In response to the recent uptick in cases, the health center added a series of frequently asked questions to their website for businesses on how to operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. The City & Borough of Yakutat also cancelled the community’s 44th Annual Fairweather Day Public Celebration, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, August 1. The local holiday usually attracts a crowd to the town’s Cannon Beach.
At last count, the State of Alaska was reporting over 3,559 cumulative coronavirus cases–2,878 resident and 681 nonresident cases.
