03/24/20 Seward Community Health Center and Local Healthcare Entities Caution Residents

Craig Ambrosiani, Executive Director (Click HERE for Printable Version.)

907‐224‐8505
cambrosiani@sewardhealthcenter.org

March 24, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

The Seward Community Health Center, in collaboration with other local healthcare entities, would like to provide some clarity on the most recent health mandate and strong advisories in respect to the current COVID19 pandemic for the community of Seward and the surrounding areas.

On March 23, 2020, the State of Alaska released Health Mandates 9 and 10, which are attached to this press release. In summary:

•Health Mandate 9 states beginning March 24 at 5:00 pm all personal care services where individuals are within 6 feet of each other must stop all operations. This extends to prohibiting gatherings of over 10 people, and if a smaller gathering does take place people must be six feet apart from each other. Health Mandate 10 strives to control the arrival to Alaska from outside localities in order to prevent the spread of the virus.

•Health Mandate 10 states beginning March 25 at 12:01 am ALL people arriving in Alaska (resident, worker or visitor) are REQUIRED TO SELF‐QUARANTINE FOR 14 DAYS and monitor for illness. Additionally, there are strict mandates for people arriving in any community for another state or nation with very specific instructions.

The Seward Community Health Center would like to strongly advise all citizens, visitors, and workers currently in Seward or the surrounding areas to observe the following instructions:

1. Stay at home as much as possible, except to work in certain critical jobs; to buy, sell, or deliver groceries or other important goods; to receive or provide healthcare; and to get fresh air without contacting others. On the limited occasions that people do leave their home, they should maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet from any person outside their household whenever possible.

2. Anyone particularly at risk from COVID‐19 should reduce exposure by staying at home, not physically going to work, and not doing their own shopping if possible. People particularly at risk of complications from COVID‐19 include those 60 years and older and individuals of any age with a serious underlying medical condition. Household members of those who are at elevated risk should implement these more stringent guidelines as well, to the extent possible.

3. Anyone more likely to be contagious with COVID‐19 should reduce contact with others even further by not leaving home except to obtain medical care or to get fresh air without contact with others. People who are more likely to be contagious include individuals exhibiting symptoms of COVID‐19 (including coughing, shortness of breath, or fever) and individuals who have recently traveled out of state, out of country or to another region in Alaska with confirmed cases of COVID‐19. All of the identified groups identified as more likely to be contagious should self quarantine at home for at least 14 days. Household members of those who are possibly contagious should implement these more stringent guidelines as well, to the extent possible.

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If you would like more information or to schedule an interview to learn more about this topic please contact Craig Ambrosiani (907‐224‐8505).

Seward Community Health Center, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non‐profit organization that operates a federally qualified community health center located at 417 First Avenue inside the hospital facility. SCHC has male & female permanent providers to serve your primary care needs close to home and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. For more information, visit www.sewardhealthcenter.org.