At the moment, neither Anchorage nor the Mat-Su have mask requirements or capacity restrictions for businesses or gatherings in place. In Anchorage, Mayor Dave Bronson has continued to decline pursuing such measures. While the base is not implementing any immediate restrictions, Krumm said he is asking military members and families to avoid facilities that do not require masks, physical distancing and other mitigation measures. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Anchorage and statewide have risen sharply in a surge driven by the highly contagious delta variant. Alaska on Friday had the nation’s third highest COVID-19 case rate per 100,000 people over the last two weeks.
In a letter sent to personnel Friday, Lt. Gen. David Krumm, a senior military commander responsible for Air Force forces in Alaska and the homeland defense mission for the state, said that most exposures to the virus among service members are happening off JBER. “If the situation continues to worsen, additional measures to protect the force will be implemented, including restricting access to off-base establishments,” JBER officials said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, the lack of mitigation measures off-base has resulted in alarmingly high infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths in our community,” Krumm wrote. “Current COVID cases on JBER have not yet reached the point of jeopardizing our readiness, but they are rising, and our data is that off-base exposure is the primary source of infection for our service members and their families.” The base has moved into Health Protection Condition Bravo. The change means Aguilar has more authority to take actions that would protect the base against COVID-19.
Krumm said restrictions, like the ones JBER enacted in October 2020 that prevented service members from visiting certain off-base establishments, could be enacted if there isn’t improvement soon. “This is a message to our service members and their families that we should do this voluntarily just to help out our community and to help out the force,” Krumm said in an interview Friday. “Also, to let them have notice that should it get worse, we will absolutely do whatever we have to to protect the force.” Department of Defense and federal installations, like JBER, require masking and social distancing in all indoor facilities if they’re located in an area of high transmission, Krumm said.
The situation has grown so dire that the state’s largest hospital, Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, this week began rationing care under crisis-care protocols. Other hospitals in the city and state are reporting similar levels of stress on staffing and capacity. [Alaska is now 3rd in the nation for highest case rate as state reports nearly 900 cases and 1 death Friday]
The News Highlights
- JBER leaders declare a public health emergency, urge staff to avoid places without masking or distancing themselves
- Check the latest Health news updates and information about health.