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The borough assembly voted in favor of a memorandum of agreement between the Petersburg Borough and Petersburg Medical Center for an asymptomatic testing program at their assembly meeting on Wednesday. The agreement would allow the borough to fund an asymptomatic COVID-19 testing program through PMC with money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act for cannery workers who live in town year round. The program is estimated to cost $177,800. There are no preventative measures...
Two additional cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the community in the past week, bringing the total number of cases to seven, though four have recovered. The first was identified on July 2. The individual had developed symptoms and was evaluated by Petersburg Medical Center and tested on site, according to a joint press release between the Petersburg Borough and PMC. The person was directed to isolated at home. The second confirmed case of COVID-19 was identified as part of OBI Seafoods'...
Following the second positive test result for COVID-19 in two days and a lack of participation, this year's Fourth of July parade was been cancelled, according to a joint statement between the Petersburg Borough and the Petersburg Medical Center released Friday, July 3. The second case of the virus was confirmed Thursday evening, and according to a separate joint statement between the borough and PMC, the person had developed symptoms and was evaluated by Petersburg Medical Center. A test was...
Charles Robert Lee Martinez, 77, died on May 31, 2020 at Petersburg Medical Center in Petersburg, Alaska. He was born on May 23, 1943 in the small town of Del Norte, Colorado to Mary Martinez. He was later adopted by his maternal grandparents Hospicio and Ofrocina Martinez. He graduated high school in San Diego, and served his country for four years in the Air Force. He worked construction for the Western Washington Laborers and belonged to Laborers 292. This stage of his life brought marriage a... Full story
A traveler coming into town through the James A. Johnson Airport has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a joint statement between the Petersburg Borough and Petersburg Medical Center released on Wednesday afternoon. The individual is a guest at Rocky Point Resort and has been at the lodge since his arrival from out of state earlier this week, according to the press release. The lodge guest did not have symptoms of COVID-19 upon arriving in Alaska. This new case of COVID-19 brings the...
The Petersburg Medical Center Board of Directors approved the hospital's fiscal year 2021 operating budget last Thursday that has a bottom line of $24,592. "We have come up with a very conservative, break even budget," said PMC Controller Rocio Tejera. PMC is expecting the hospital's total operating revenue to be $18,865,470 in the upcoming fiscal year, though that number will likely change as the year progresses. The budget also recognizes $3.8 million in government relief under operating...
Petersburg Medical Center ended May with 342.9 days cash on hand, according to PMC Controller Rocio Tejera at the board of directors meeting last Thursday. The total days cash on hand is how many days the hospital is able to operate without incoming revenue. At the start of the 2020 fiscal year, PMC only had 134.7 days cash on hand, which includes operating cash and investments. At the end of May, that number had shot up to 342.9 days cash on hand with operating cash and investments. Tereja said...
Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter gave an executive report to the PMC Board of Directors at their meeting last Thursday, and noted that while most services offered by the hospital have decreased by 35 to 50 percent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, home health has seen an increase in patients. In his report to the board, Hofstetter said that service volumes increased slightly in May, but have remained flat in June, but home health was able to increase its number of patients up...
With the second positive test result for COVID-19 in two days and a lack of participation, this year's Fourth of July parade has been cancelled, according to a joint statement between the Petersburg Borough and the Petersburg Medical Center released Friday, July 3. The most recent case of the virus was confirmed Thursday evening. According to a separate joint statement between the borough and PMC, the person had developed symptoms and was evaluated by Petersburg Medical Center. A test was perfor... Full story
On June 18, a positive case of COVID-19 was detected among Trident Seafoods employees, according to a press release from the EOC, and as of Wednesday, the case is still active. All Trident Seafoods employees that travel to Petersburg are tested for COVID-19 prior to arriving in town and are quarantined in a bunkhouse upon arrival, according to the press release. The workers are then tested again on the tenth day of a 14 day quarantine. It was on the individual's 10th day in quarantine when the...
The borough assembly held a special meeting on Friday to enter into a contract with the state of Alaska to receive payment for the borough's greeting, screening and testing services currently in place at the Petersburg Airport. As per the updated state health mandate #10, those coming into the state will either have to show proof that they received a negative COVID-19 test result three days before arriving in Alaska, receive a negative test result upon entering Alaska or quarantine for 14 days...
Gladys Mary Olsen, 95 passed away on May 15, 2020. She was born at home near Marysville, Washington on March 24,1925 to William and Anne (Grassmee) Jensen. She graduated from Arlington High School in 1943. During WWII she worked at the Boeing Plant in Everett, Washington. Gladys married Raymond Olsen on September 11, 1946 and they had five sons. They all are grateful for the enjoyable times she provided while growing up on their farm in Arlington, Washington. She spent much of her life... Full story
On Tuesday, Petersburg Medical Center staff were ready to start collecting test samples from passengers flying into town as of the afternoon jet to be tested for COVID-19, said PMC Director of Patient Care Services Angela Menish. As passengers get off the plane and exit the tarmac, they are greeted by borough employees. If an individual is arriving from another part of Alaska, then they can enter the community. If the individual is arriving from outside of the state or country, then they are dir...
An updated version of Gov. Dunleavy's state health mandate #10 took effect early Saturday morning and set new guidelines for residents and visitors who are entering Alaska from the lower 48 or another country. According to the revised mandate, travelers into the state will have to meet one of four requirements upon arrival to avoid having to self quarantine for 14 days. They can be tested for COVID-19 before traveling, or they can be tested in Alaska when they arrive. If the individual has...
The borough assembly approved the Emergency Operations Center to answer a survey from the Alaska Municipal League regarding the presence of cruise ships in Alaska and also heard concerns over cruise ships arriving in port. The assembly had the option to hold a special meeting to provide input on the survey, but the assembly members felt comfortable with the EOC answering the questions. Borough Incident Commander Karl Hagerman said the communities at a recent AML meeting were cautious and showed...
With the upcoming expiration of the state's health mandate that requires anyone arriving in the state to quarantine for 14 days, Borough Incident Commander Karl Hagerman said at the COVID-19 community update Wednesday that the borough hasn't received much information from the state on what will happen next. Last Friday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced plans to change state health mandate #10 in a press conference. He mentioned that the Petersburg and Wrangell airports would be supported by state...
Petersburg Medical Center has spent about $430,000 in costs related to COVID-19, as of Friday's Board of Directors' meeting, according to PMC Controller Rocio Tejera. Tejera said much of April was spent dealing with COVID-19 related activities and searching for financial aid. In April alone, PMC spent $321,000 in COVID-19 related expenses, such as overtime, supplies and equipment. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to cover 75 percent of the hospital's COVID-19 related costs,...
Petersburg Medical Center has begun operating under a red, yellow and green format that correlates to the risk of COVID-19 in the community and state which guides the hospital in its operations, according to PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter in his report to the PMC Board of Directors at their meeting last Thursday. "It does allow us to be more dynamic and flexible based on what we see in the community," said Jennifer Hyer, chief of staff at PMC. On Thursday, May 28, PMC was operating under a green state...
Petersburg Public Health Nurse Erin Michael warned the public that as people's lives change and adapt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they can begin to feel depressed and suicidal. At the COVID-19 community update on Wednesday, May 27, Micheal said the state reported an increase in emergency room visits related to suicide. She said it's not uncommon for people to feel anxious or depressed as they deal with the pandemic. Some specific causes of depression brought on by the pandemic can be a lack...
We are not done To the Editor: Until there is a vaccine or solid proof of acquired immunity we are not done. Being open requires participation in community safety. One cannot happen without the other. Social distancing, hand hygiene and those crazy ingenuous masks are a part of community safety. So is staying home when sick. And employers should do the right thing for the survival of their business to not make their employees choose between a day or a week without pay versus going to work sick....
State health officials held a virtual work session with the borough on May 27 that updated the community on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska. Joe McLaughlin, chief of epidemiology in the state, opened the work session with a brief presentation on the virus. He said the state isn't entirely sure what the total number of COVID-19 cases are in Alaska because not everyone has been tested for the virus. It is possible that there might be double or even triple the amount of cases than...
Anne Lewis, 94, a longtime resident of Petersburg, Alaska passed away on May 7, 2020 at the Petersburg Medical Center. She was born Sept. 5, 1925, in Petersburg, Alaska, the daughter of late Tom and Lucy Kito. She was proud to say she came into this world while her parents were processing their fish at Blind Slough during the late salmon run at their campsite. She graduated from Petersburg High School in 1943. She enrolled in the Armed Forces as a nurse cadet and attended St. Joseph School of... Full story
Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced on Tuesday that phases three and four of his Reopen Alaska Responsibly Plan will take effect Friday morning, but Borough Incident Commander Karl Hagerman said communities are still waiting for more details on what businesses can expect to happen later this week. "[Dunleavy's] obviously making some leaps here to move the state ahead and jumpstart the economy, but the details of how or what restrictions are expected of every business hasn't been released," said...
Jerry Hegar passed away May 14, 2020 at Petersburg Medical Center. An obituary will follow soon. Services to be determined.... Full story
On Monday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy released state health mandate #18, which eases previous restrictions on intrastate travel. The newest health mandate supersedes state health mandate #12, which had limited travel between Alaskan communities to critical infrastructure or critical personal needs. State health mandate #18 now opens up all purposes of travel for communities connected by the road system and the Alaska Marine Highway System. Travel between those communities does include the use of boats...
