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A staff member at Petersburg Medical Center has tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total local case count of the virus up to five, according to a joint press release between the Petersburg Borough and PMC. The positive test result was identified through the hospital's routine asymptomatic testing protocols, according to the release. The individual is in isolation and is not experiencing any symptoms. PMC has switched over to a red level of mitigation protocols and has cancelled all... Full story
Petersburg School District is expected to reopen their doors today, Oct. 29, after a positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed at Rae C. Stedman Elementary School on Tuesday that resulted in a district-wide school closure, according to Petersburg School District Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter. Petersburg public health officials completed their contract tracing related to the school district on Wednesday, said Kludt-Painter. Students and staff who have been instructed to quarantine were asked...
The Borough Assembly extended a contract between the borough and the state for COVID-19 related services offered at the Petersburg Airport through Dec. 31 at their meeting on Oct. 20. Under the extension, the borough will receive $423,725 for the greeting, screening and testing services of incoming passengers from June 8 through Dec. 31, according to a memo to the Borough Assembly from Incident Commander Karl Hagerman. The extension also amended the memorandum of agreement between the borough...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted against terminating the borough's declaration of disaster emergency, which was enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, at their meeting on Tuesday. Assembly Member Taylor Norheim requested the action item be on the meeting's agenda to address the borough's declaration of disaster emergency and determine if the new assembly agreed with the declaration. Assembly Member Dave Kensinger was voted on to the assembly after the municipal election earlier this...
The Emergency Operations Center is asking anyone who visited or worked in any of the local bars on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10 to call Petersburg Medical Center's COVID-19 hotline, after an individual infected with the virus was determined to have visited a local bar last weekend, according to Incident Commander Karl Hagerman at the COVID-19 community update on Oct. 16. In prerecorded calls, text messages and emails, the EOC informed the public on Oct. 15 that one of the three residents that had...
Two cases of COVID-19 have been identified within the same household Tuesday evening, according to a joint press release from the Petersburg Borough and Petersburg Medical Center. One of the two individuals was showing symptoms of the virus and called PMC's COVID-19 hotline, according to the press release. The individual that was asymptomatic has underlying health issues and was also tested for COVID-19 out of caution, according to the press release. Both individuals tested positive on Oct. 27... Full story
A positive case of COVID-19 was identified this morning in Mrs. Potrzuski's fifth grade classroom at Rae C. Stedman Elementary School, resulting in a district-wide school closure, according to a statement on Petersburg School District's Facebook page. Both the student and their parent tested positive for the virus, according to a joint-statement between the Petersburg Borough and Petersburg Medical Center. The student recently traveled to Juneau on a non-school related trip and is symptomatic,... Full story
The Planning Commission approved a parking agreement with Valhalla Place, LLC at their regular meeting on Tuesday on the condition that any overflow parking from its future 15 unit affording housing complex on Excel St. be directed to a vacant lot several blocks away. Valhalla Place, LLC submitted a request to utilize an exception in current municipal code that allows them to make a payment in lieu of providing sufficient off-street parking for future tenants. According to Joe Bertagnoli, a...
Three cases of COVID-19 were confirmed within a single household Wednesday evening, according to a joint press release from the Petersburg Borough and Petersburg Medical Center. The individuals were showing symptoms and have been told to isolate themselves. According to the release, one member of the family recently traveled in the state, and the positive test result is likely related to their travel. PMC reported on Wednesday morning that 4,460 test samples have been collected to be tested for...
Time for tougher garbage requirements To the Editor: Every fall, it's the same story: bears wandering around town and getting into garbage. It's time for the borough to adopt tougher requirements to keep bears and garbage separate. Common sense and personal responsibility clearly aren't working. Ditto the existing wimpy ordinance on garbage cans. (You must make a "reasonable effort" to keep garbage cans inaccessible to animals. A reasonable effort includes securing a can with a bungee cord, no...
The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium has begun free asymptomatic testing of Petersburg residents and others throughout the region. Testing is offered from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. every Saturday and Sunday at the SEARHC parking lot at 202 Gjoa St. Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter said at the COVID-19 community update on Oct. 9 that SEARHC is sending their test samples to Sitka and is seeing a four day or less turnaround time on results. Residents will receive their results via...
Dr. Kayla Luhrs began working full time at Petersburg Medical Center as its fifth doctor in August. Luhrs had been working with PMC since 2018 as a locum physician, traveling back and forth between Juneau and Petersburg to fill in as needed. Then in March of this year, she came back to PMC, but decided to stay as the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect Alaska. "With the whole pandemic thing, we thought it would be easier if I just stayed instead of traveling," said Luhrs. She then signed a...
The Petersburg Medical Center staff member that tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday is thought to have contracted the virus locally, said Incident Commander Karl Hagerman at the COVID-19 community update on Friday, Oct. 2. The positive case of COVID-19 was detected during PMC's regular asymptomatic testing of its employees, said PMC Infection Prevention and Quality Manager Liz Bacom. The person immediately went into isolation and contract tracing has begun. "That gives us encouragement that...
Petersburg Medical Center has continued their spike in revenue into the second month of the fiscal year, with a total operating revenue for the month of August that was 26 percent above expectations, according to a financial report PMC Controller Rocio Tejera presented to the Board of Directors at their meeting on Sept. 24. PMC had budgeted for $1,619,830 in total operating revenue in August, but instead brought in $2,045,120. A high number of patient days for the month drove up the total...
An employee at Petersburg Medical Center has tested positive for COVID-19 and was identified through the hospital's routine asymptomatic testing protocol, according to a joint press release from PMC and the Petersburg Borough. The employee has been notified and is in isolation. PMC has switched to a red risk level of operations as a result of the confirmed case of the virus, according to the joint release. All non-emergent care patient visits have been canceled and clinic appointments will be... Full story
Petersburg School District switched over to a low risk level of operations, or green level, on Monday. Rae C. Stedman Elementary School will be in session from 8 A.M. to 1:45 P.M. in person Monday through Friday, said Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter at the COVID-19 community update on Friday, Sept. 25. Teachers will stay with their classes throughout the day and limit interaction with other teachers and pods. Students will still get recesses, lunch and other breaks while in school. Mitkof...
This year's borough assembly candidates took the stage on Sept. 24 to answer questions ranging from the borough's COVID-19 response to the tourism industry in this year's candidate forum. The candidates answered questions from representatives of KFSK and the Petersburg Pilot. Marc Martinsen, Dave Kensinger and incumbents Jeff Meucci and Brandi Thynes were each asked the same questions and had two minutes to respond. The order of the candidates changed with each question that was asked. The forum...
A new 20-ft. x 40-ft. tent has been erected at the Petersburg airport to provide shelter for hospital employees providing COVID testing services for passengers arriving at the airport each day. Emergency operations center director Karl Hagerman said the new tent encompasses the same size footprint as the three tents and trailer that were in place this summer. "The tent survived the wind test this weekend," according to Hagerman. The airport experienced wind gusts up to 40 mph and sustained...
Petersburg has gone 34 days since a case of COVID-19 was confirmed to be in the community. The last confirmed case of the virus was a non-resident who tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 14 and later recovered on Aug. 21. As of Wednesday, Sept. 23, Petersburg Medical Center reported 3,887 test samples have been collected to be tested for COVID-19 on site or at outside laboratories. Of those test samples collected, about 3,829 have returned negative and 45 are still pending. According to PMC, Ne...
The Petersburg Borough held a virtual town hall on Sept. 10 to inform the public on the civil emergency provisions ordinance, which is set to go before the assembly in its third and final reading on Monday. The meeting was split into two parts and moderated by attorney Sarah F. Fine. Borough officials gave presentations on the Incident Command System (ICS), the reason for a more expansive emergency ordinance and the need for an emergency ordinance. The second half of the meeting was dedicated...
On Friday, Sept. 11, Incident Commander Karl Hagerman said his voluntary community plan for preventing the spread of COVID-19 will be released soon after weeks of drafting and editing. "Thankfully the virus situation in Petersburg has been well under control, but as we enter into flu season, we just don't know what's going to happen," said Hagerman at the COVID-19 community update last week. The document, which includes recommendations and best practices to limit the spread of the virus, was rev...
Twenty days have gone by since Petersburg has had a positive case of COVID-19 in the community as of Wednesday, Sept. 9. The last confirmed case of the virus was a non-resident who tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 14 and recovered on Aug. 21. Petersburg Medical Center has collected a total of 3,456 test samples to be tested for COVID-19 onsite or at outside laboratories as of Wednesday, Sept. 9. Of those test samples collected, 25 are still pending and about 3,418 have returned negative. Jus...
A letter asking state officials to declare Southeast Alaska an area impacted by an economic disaster due to fishery losses was approved by the borough assembly at their meeting on Tuesday. The letter, addressed to Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Julie Anderson, commissioner of the department of commerce, community, and economic development, requests that they take steps to secure relief funding for fishermen in Southeast Alaska. The assembly also requested Dunleavy direct the Alaska Department of Fish...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly agreed to set aside $608,345 at their meeting on Tuesday from its Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act special revenue fund for COVID-19 related costs at Petersburg Medical Center. According to PMC Controller Rocio Tejera, the funds won't immediately be transferred to the hospital. The borough will set the money aside in case PMC needs the funding in the future. While PMC is actively looking for grants and other sources of revenue to cover the costs...
Mountain View Manor Assisted Living has begun allowing visitors into the facility under a limited basis, according to acting Incident Commander Sandy Dixson at the COVID-19 community update on Friday. Visitation resumed on Thursday, Aug. 27, and Dixson said the public was eager to see residents at the manor in person again. Apartments are limited to four visitors per visit, and only three apartments can have visitors at one time, said Dixson. Visitors are also screened before entering the...
