Anchorage easing COVID-19 restrictions

Municipality of Anchorage Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson signed a new emergency order Thursday that will ease COVID-19 related restrictions that are currently in place.

COVID-19 cases rates in the Anchorage area have continued to drop over the last month, municipality officials said. The new order, which goes into effect Monday at 8 a.m. will lift capacity restrictions and ease gathering limitations.

“We will only get to the kind of Alaska summer we all want by keeping case counts low, getting people vaccinated, and making sure these more contagious variants don’t take hold in our community this spring,” Quinn-Davidson said in a press release issued by the municipality. “We can and we will get there together by keeping our distance, getting vaccinated when we can, and continuing to mask up.”

With the new order, bars and restaurants can operate indoor table service and alcohol can be served until 2 a.m. Six feet of physical distance between parties and masks are still required. Entertainment facilities can operate at full capacity, and like bars and restaurants, Six feet of physical distance between parties and masks are still required.

Indoor gyms, fitness centers, salons and personal care service providers can be open with masking and physical distancing.

All retail businesses can operate in a manner that allows customers six feet of distance from other household groups. Masks are also required.

Spectators will be allowed at organized sporting events, and teams will be able to compete against other teams from outside the municipality.

Gatherings, starting Monday, may have up to 25 people indoors when food or beverage are present, and up to 35 people when food or beverage are not present. Outdoor gatherings may have up to 60 people when food or beverage are present, and up to 100 people when food or beverage are not present.

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