Skagway officials on Sunday announced the first active COVID-19 case for several months. It’s a child under the age of 12 who was at the well-attended Summer Solstice party on Saturday evening at the Dedman Stage.
So far the child is the only person in Skagway that tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday after returning home from recent travel with family. The municipality has asked that everyone who was at the Solstice event at Seven Pastures between five and ten p.m. who is unvaccinated and had close contact with children from outside their household, remain self-isolated at home and monitor for COVID-19 symptoms until further notice. That recommendation does not apply to fully vaccinated individuals.
Skagway officials say that contact tracing is typically done by the state, but on Monday the Dahl Memorial Clinic got the go-ahead to take control of the program, with the thought that the service could be done more quickly on a local level.
Summer school was canceled on Monday in Skagway as was the poetry reading and music event that was scheduled at the library for Monday evening. Officials say programs like these involving children will be on hold until contact tracing is completed.
Officials say there is no word yet if this is the same variant that Canada’s Yukon Territory is battling. Their active case count had risen to 100 as of Monday afternoon, five times as many as last Monday. Screening results indicate that all cases are the Gamma variant that originated in Brazil and is more contagious than the original strain.
COVID-19 testing is available in Skagway at the Dahl Memorial Clinic by appointment. Testing is also available through the Skagway Traditional Council from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10 to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. That testing is free and no appointment is necessary.
CDC guidelines state that it typically takes four to five days after exposure to test positive for the virus. Skagway officials say it would be most effective to get tested toward the end of this week if you are concerned unless directed otherwise by the clinic.
