​ANCHORAGE, AK — Mayor Ethan Berkowitz issued Emergency Order EO-13, mandating the use of cloth face coverings or masks in the Municipality of Anchorage. EO-13 takes effect at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, June 29, 2020, and remains in effect until July 31, 2020.

Emergency Order EO-13 is in response to increasing case counts in Anchorage over the last few weeks. To support the increase in economic activity following the lifting of the Hunker Down order, and to protect public health, everyone in Anchorage must wear a face covering when in a public space such as a grocery store, pharmacy, restaurant or bar, retail store, and other common indoor areas.

“COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the Lower 48 and case counts have risen in Anchorage,” said Mayor Berkowitz. “Unfortunately, not enough people are practicing the distancing needed to keep the curve flat, so we have a choice between doing nothing, hunkering down, or masking up. Masking up makes a difference. When enough of us do it, we can flatten the curve, keep our businesses open, and our community safe.”

Exceptions to this order include:

• children under two years old
• individuals with health conditions who are unable to tolerate wearing a face covering or mask due to a physical or mental disability
• individuals performing an activity that cannot be accomplished, or accomplished safely while wearing a mask

Employers are responsible to provide masks or cloth face coverings to employees who have direct contact with others. Additional details are outlined in the Emergency Order.

This emergency order follows recommendations by the Anchorage Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to slow the spread of COVID-19. Wearing a face covering or mask reduces droplets passed on to others when people talk, cough, sing, or sneeze. Face coverings are especially helpful to prevent asymptomatic people from transmitting the virus to others.

Face coverings do not replace physical distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other people), frequent hand washing with soap and water or using hand sanitizer, and routine cleaning and disinfecting of regularly touched surfaces.

​FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 3, 2020

Confirmed COVID-19 Exposure Locations

Anchorage, Alaska – The Anchorage Health Department (AHD) has confirmed that persons who were infectious with COVID-19 spent extended time in the following businesses:

If you were in these businesses during the dates listed above:

1. Stay away from people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.
2. Watch for symptoms and check your temperature twice a day for 14 days after you were in one of the businesses during the dates listed above.

• Symptoms, which can start up to 14 days after exposure, can include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest pressure or tightness, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.

3. If you develop any of these symptoms, stay home, except to get tested as soon as possible. Information on testing in Anchorage and the rest of Alaska is available here.

• You may be infectious to others for two days BEFORE and 10 days AFTER you get sick. Do not go to work or public places. You can easily spread COVID-19 before you feel any symptoms.
• For more detailed instructions, see CDC’s What To Do If You Are Sick

“With the current surge in cases and related contacts, our public health tracing capacity is maxed out,” said Anchorage Health Department Director Natasha Pineda. “At this time, particularly at locations where physical distancing and use of face coverings are unlikely to occur, the number of contacts is too large and complex for traditional contact tracing.”

While this is a list of confirmed exposures, please remember that COVID-19 is spreading quickly throughout our community.

To help inform the public, AHD is developing an exposure notice webpage. AHD does not list informal gatherings. Some people confirmed to have COVID-19 did not share or remember all of their close contacts or public places they visited. Additionally, it typically takes 2-7 days before our team is able to learn where potential exposures have occurred.

Community members can help our public health nursing team by keeping a contact log, noting the days and times of the places visited and the people they came in contact with. The contact log helps with contact tracing in the event you become sick with COVID-19.

Keep yourself, your loved ones, your coworkers, your neighbors, our vulnerable population and frontline workers safe by staying at least six feet away from people outside your household or social bubble, wearing a cloth face covering over your nose and mouth, avoiding crowds, and washing your hands often for 20 seconds.

For more information, call 2-1-1 or visit www.muni.org/COVID-19.

For press inquiries, email carolyn.hall@anchorageak.gov and barry.piser@anchorageak.gov.