Mayor holds COVID-19 press conference

PALMER — Mat-Su Borough Mayor Vern Halter called a COVID-19 press conference on Friday to discuss rising numbers across the Valley and application periods for CARES grants that will open next week. As reported by Mat-Su Borough Department of Emergency Services Director Ken Barkley, 18,214 tests have been provided in the Mat-Su with 15,225 of those performed on residents. The Mat-Su has three new COVID-19 cases that were announced on Friday with 318 total, 246 of those active and one hospitalization. Mat-Su Regional Medical Center COVID-19 taskforce chair Dr. Tom Quimby presented objective information about what physicians have learned about the spread of coronavirus.

“From the hospital perspective and from the state perspective we’ve seen a lot of these are younger people, so we’re not seeing an overwhelming surge of hospitalizations or death at least in our hospital yet and we’re really happy about that and I hope that that stays like that, but we are concerned about the future with this trend,” said Quimby. “It still is a disease that needs to be respected, there is no cure. It’s still the leading cause of death in the U.S. As of recently we were having over 1,000 deaths a day up to almost 1,400 deaths a day which is if you think about it and do the math, that’s a person dying every minute in this country from this disease so it’s still something we need to respect. There’s been 160,000 deaths in the country so far.”

Barkley reported that at the 17 drive up testing sites provided by the borough, 293 tests had been conducted. The Borough will provide drive-up testing in Houston on August 13, Wasilla on August 17 and in Butte on August 27. Alaska had 53 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Friday with a total of 3,536, 2,449 of those currently active. Barkley also called for safe operation of ATV’s and monitoring of minors operating ATV’s in light of recent incidents.

“I want to remind everyone the importance if your children are out there you have to be with them and they must have a helmet on. Not only is that the law but as a parent we don’t want to be the ones getting that phone call or going to the hospital and finding out that a child was seriously injured on an off road vehicle,” said Barkley. “Make sure that the children have helmets on and make sure that they are properly trained on how to use that vehicle.”

At Tuesday’s Assembly meeting, Borough Attorney Nick Spiropolous provided legal guidance on the health powers that the Assembly does not have as a second class borough. Halter further extrapolated on Friday about Article 7 of the Alaska Constitution pertaining to Public Health and Welfare and that both shall be provided for by the legislature.

“The Mat-Su Borough as a second class borough legally does not have the power to order masks, to limit the number of people at attendance at an event that could be outdoors or indoors, to close restaurants bars or anything of that nature. We do not have the power, I don’t know if I’ve said that enough. The Mat-Su Borough does not have the power,” said Halter. “I’d ask the Governor to review it from the standpoint of how this pandemic is affecting Alaska totally, all the villages all the things of that nature, how strict Anchorage is compared to how loose the Valley is and I think the Governor could make a call on tightening things up a little bit about the numbers on an event like that.”

Acting Borough Manager George Hays and Assemblywoman Stephanie Nowers provided updates on the CARES act grant funding that the Borough will begin accepting applications for next week. Of the more than $37 million awarded to the borough, $13 million will be distributed in economic impact grants to businesses, $9.9 million will be given to individual residents in the form of direct impact grants and $11.65 million will be used to cover Borough operations and costs with a remaining $3.5 million for remaining expenses. Monies left over from the $9.9 million set aside for individual $100 payments to each Borough resident who received a Permanent Fund Dividend last year will be used for remaining expenses.

“Knowing that there’s more needs than there is funding and help available, this business grant program was developed with a lot of input from businesses and organizations and nonprofits. We know that it’s not going to be enough but it’s intended to be a shot in the arm for our businesses and nonprofits in the Valley. It’s meant to work in conjunction with the other aid programs that are out there, the Federal programs, the state programs, be additive to those and also give funding to those who have not received any yet,” said Nowers.

The small business grant application period opens on Monday August 10 at 10:00 a.m. and individual grant applications are yet to be determined as borough officials are awaiting confirmation from the Permanent Fund office. More information can be found at msbcares.matsugov.us.