The Haines Emergency Operations Center confirmed a second person has tested positive for COVID-19 in the borough. 

Transmission electron microscopic image of an isolate from the first U.S. case of COVID-19, formerly known as 2019-nCoV. (CDC/ Hannah A Bullock; Azaibi Tamin)

Borough Clerk Alekka Fullerton posted the announcement online on Thursday evening. Another Haines resident has a confirmed positive case of coronavirus. The news of the second case comes within 24-hours of the first patient’s recovery.

“We’re sort of in the same position as we were when we got our first positive test,” she said.

Fullerton said the borough does not have plans to change its safety guidelines or restrictions at this time. 

“Just reminding people that this is something that we’re going to be dealing with and that we need to remain vigilant and it’s hard. I get that it’s hard. This is a marathon,” said Fullerton.

She explained there are no increased health and safety measures because there were no new cases in the week following the first case.

“If we get a bunch of cases in that week, then we’re going to treat it one way. And if it’s sort of a one off, we’re going to treat it differently. And so since we didn’t have any more cases of community transmission within that week… they’re not going to pour more resources into figuring out where it came from,” she said.

State epidemiologists confirmed the first case was community spread. They have not yet reached a decision about the second case.

According to the EOC press release, the second patient is a woman between the ages of 30 and 39 who is asymptomatic. State public health officials say she was not a contact of the first patient.

Juneau-based public health nurse Elaine Hickey says contact tracing was completed Friday morning.

“There’s not a ton of contacts. There are some but there are not, you know, a big huge list,” she said.

Close contacts will be asked to self isolate for two weeks. 

COVID-19 testing is available in Haines to all patients who exhibit symptoms. Despite an active asymptomatic case in Haines, SEARHC is not testing asymptomatic people at this time. Appointments for tests can be made by calling 766-6300.