Claire Stremple, KTOO - Juneau
How Alaska cruise towns are handling COVID-19 arriving on ships
The cruise tourism restart after a nearly two-year hiatus is bringing hope for a revived economy, but also concerns about the safety of the tourists and Alaskans alike.
It happened: Someone on a large cruise ship in Juneau has tested positive for COVID-19
A city official says the individual did not circulate in Juneau as a tourist, but will leave the capital city by air ambulance. The city is working with the cruise lines and the state’s health department to respond.
Juneau asks residents to mask up indoors again
Masks are required in City and Borough of Juneau facilities effective immediately due to recent increases in COVID-19 cases. In the rest of the city, masks are optional, but the city is encouraging them after it reported 150 cases over the weekend.
Alaska patients have reduced access to out-of-state telehealth appointments as emergency declarations end
Pandemic-era licensing waivers went away with the governor’s emergency order. It left some Seattle hospitals scrambling to reschedule Alaska patients.
At home in an avalanche path: Why Juneauites buy and keep homes in a hazard zone
Dozens of sought-after Juneau homes are built in an avalanche path. And decades of studies have pointed to the very real possibility of a big, destructive slide in the neighborhood’s future.
A pandemic rule change could make it easier to get treatment for opioid addiction in Alaska
Alaska doctors have temporary permission from the state to use telehealth to prescribe a controlled, but life-saving drug used to treat opioid addiction. State officials say they’d like to make the change permanent.
Airport project in Gustavus continues despite residents’ concerns about contamination
While the state's additional testing showed high levels of PFAS chemicals, plans for the project have hardly changed to the frustration of some residents of a small Southeast community.
‘This is creating havoc’: Juneau regional hospital’s mental health surge continues
Even as more than 70% of Juneau’s eligible population has had its first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, hospital officials say the patient load hasn’t decreased: It’s just leveled off.
Deadly fungus threatens Alaska amphibians
It’s not always lethal, but the fungus has decimated frog populations around the world and is thought to be responsible for up to 90 extinctions. Researchers aren’t sure how it got to Alaska, but it has been observed here since the year 2000.
50 years of data show cancer still leading cause of death for Alaska Natives
A new study from Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium shows that cancer rates among Alaska Native people have gone up over the last half-century. Researchers say the data points to opportunities for prevention.
Federal health officials recommend pregnant women get COVID-19 vaccine
Pregnant women and children are considered vulnerable populations and were not included in vaccine trials. But early data from the CDC’s Vaccine Pregnancy Registry shows that there is no evidence that the vaccine cause any problems for the mother or the baby.
Alaska joins Florida in federal lawsuit over pandemic cruise ship rules
The lawsuit says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is overstepping its authority with the Conditional Sailing Order, which imposes strict COVID-19 safety precautions on the cruise industry.
New construction at Gustavus airport digs up old concerns about toxic chemicals
Contractors plan to break ground on a multimillion dollar airport project in Gustavus this month. But newly discovered toxic chemicals at the site make the state-run project more complicated, and some residents don’t think the environmental oversight goes far enough to keep them safe.
Alaska House passes resolution over Canada’s cruise ship ban
The Alaska House of Representatives passed a resolution on Wednesday that urges Congress to allow an exemption for cruise ships to bypass Canada and sail in Alaska this year.
Alaska’s billion-dollar cruise season in the balance as CDC resists industry pressure to lift restrictions
The federal government held its ground on Wednesday against calls to roll back restrictions on cruise ship sailings. In Alaska, the rapidly approaching cruise season — and its billion-dollar industry — is still at stake.
Juneau cruise line’s vaccine requirement could bring slice of normalcy for coastal communities
After the proliferation of COVID-19 vaccines in Alaska, the owners of UnCruise will require them of all passengers, which means they'll be able to safely disembark at coastal communities along the route.
More babies are being born too early in Alaska, health department says
In 2019, almost 1 in 10 births in Alaska was preterm. That’s as high as it’s been in the last two decades. Preterm birth and low birth weight can cause infant death or developmental problems.
Federal COVID-19 relief dollars are coming to Alaska’s economy. Here’s where the money’s going.
Aside from $1,400 direct payments, unemployed Alaskans, and Alaskans with children could also get a big cash boost. That could bring 12,000 Alaskan children out of poverty.
‘It’s a risk either way’: Pregnant women in Alaska grapple with vaccine decisions
Pregnant women face a dilemma: they are considered at high risk for serious medical complications from COVID-19, but the vaccines haven’t been tested on pregnant women because they’re a vulnerable population.
Lost kitten tours Juneau before good Samaritans fly her home to Haines
The owners of the cat never discovered who was the Good Samaritan who found Spot.