Anchorage mayor extends municipality's 'hunker down order'

The Municipality of Anchorage’s “hunker down order” has been extended to May 5 at 11:59 p.m. Mayor Ethan Berkowitz extended the order on Tuesday.

“Public health experts advise that COVID-19 continues to pose a significant risk to the health and safety of Anchorage residents,” municipality officials said in a press release issued late Tuesday night. “This virus still spreads easily from person to person, and causes significant health complications and even death among a relatively high number of patients. Immediately removing physical distancing restrictions would likely result in a surge of COV-19 cases that overwhelms Anchorage’s expanded health care capacity.”

The order Prohibits businesses from knowingly permitting symptomatic employees or others likely to be contagious with COVID-19 from working outside the home; Mandates that businesses must allow and shall strongly encourage employees to wear cloth face-coverings or masks when around the public or in close proximity to other employees. The order strongly encourages individuals to wear a cloth face-covering or mask whenever in public; Allows up to two people to be inside a non-critical business that is closed to the public for the purposes of essential upkeep, site maintenance, performing payroll, or facilitating remote business operations or online order fulfillment through email or physical mail, assuming proper physical distancing measures can be accomplished. Non critical businesses may not operate via curbside or delivery service model at this time; Clarifies that farmer’s markets, food trucks, and landscapers are critical businesses; Allows sewing, quilting, and fabric stores to open for curbside pick-up and delivery; Updates the order to apply to everyone in Anchorage by mandating that everyone stay home as much as possible, and that home may include a residence, a temporary residence, or a shelter.

“Anchorage has done a great job responding to this crisis” Berkowitz said. “We hunkered down and are saving lives. Our work is not done; the virus is still out there. But we know that if we stay disciplined and maintain physical distancing and good hygiene, we will be able to keep easing restrictions and continue reopening the economy.”

The Municipality of Anchorage had nearly half of the state’s COVID-19 cases, as of Tuesday night, with 136. The state’s total Tuesday was 285. Of the 136, 123 are in Anchorage. There were a combined 13 in Chugiak, Eagle River and Girdwood.

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