Real time Balto sequel

National exposure to pending crisis apwire. 

State still looks for doses availible.

Vaccine distribution has always been a logistical challenge in a state where many communities are accessible only by plane, boat or snowmobile.

A tight timeline for distribution — especially in the case of Pfizer vaccine, which must be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius, and can then only be refrigerated for five days after it’s thawed — complicates things further, officials say.

“There are very few freezers in Alaska and across the country that have that capacity,” said Joe McLaughlin, an epidemiologist with the state health department. “And so it makes a logistically a little more difficult how to get that vaccine out to more rural areas,” he explained.

Fortunately, the Moderna vaccine has a bit easier-to-achieve temperature range, he said; more in the range of minus 20.

The AstraZeneca vaccine doesn’t have to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures at all.

State health officials said one of their main priorities is making sure rural Alaskans have equal and equitable access to a vaccine.

“This is a highly talked about conversation right now,” Zink said. “We know that rural health outcomes are generally worse.”

On both a federal and state level, conversations about equitable access to vaccine distribution are being had, she said.

A team of 40 people, including state and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium representatives, are working “around the clock” on plans to receive, distribute and administer the vaccine, Walker Linderman said.

Source.http://www.ktoo.org/2020/11/24/the-first-doses-of-a-covid-19-vaccine-could-be-distributed-nationwide-in-just-a-few-weeks-heres-what-we-know-so-far-about-alaskas-plans/

Things have escalated at the Polk homestead. 

 After a decades-long process, the state wants to wrap up the acquisition of land for that road and is prepared to use the force of law if necessary.

multiple times that he had to remove trespassers by force.

“I pulled out — I carry a katana — and I said, ‘You can either go back on that side, or I’m just gonna move you on that side,’” Polk said.

He said that he didn’t have to use the sword in that case. 

 Alaska braces for the worst.

Earlier this month, he said, four patients needing acute care weren’t able to get out of Bethel for several days. That was two weeks ago, and things could get even worse. The region reported 171 cases between Monday and Tuesday alone.

Kosin also pointed to nursing homes as places that are already under strain, and where an outbreak could break the already-stretched health care system.

“If that sector starts to kind of go under, there’s only one place for them to go and that would be a hospital, and if we have a transfer of those types of patients into a hospital setting it would put us under immediately,” he said. “So we’re in a pretty dire situation right now.”

Kosin says that almost all hospitals in the state are currently experiencing staffing pressure, something which is likely to get worse if case numbers continue to rise

Awards. 

Alaska Air National Guard Col. Matthew Calabro succeeded Col. Kenneth Radford as the 176th Operations Group commander during a ceremony Nov. 8. The group provides wartime and peacetime mission support of deployment operations, combat search and rescue, air control, rescue coordination, and strategic airlift for the 176th Wing. During the ceremony, Radford was presented with the Legion of Merit. The award citation highlighted the 176th OG’s efforts under his command. Under Radford’s leadership, the group saved 159 lives during rescue missions, deployed dozens of Airmen to Iraq, Africa, and other nations, and provided strategic airlift assistance after hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Florence. Radford will assume duties as the 176th Wing vice commander, a position most recently held by Calabro. Alaska-based Ahtna Environmental Inc. announced it is the recipient of the 2020 Society of American Military Engineers

Source. https://www.alaskajournal.com/movers-and-shakers

673rd medical.

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska —

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the 673d Medical Group has been fighting the battle on the front lines here in the Last Frontier.

These frontline workers have risen to the unprecedented challenge to ensure mission readiness as well as providing safe medical care for personnel and their families.

As Alaska’s case count rises, 673d MDG personnel urge the public to continue to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19.

“We cannot afford to become complacent,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Elena Lages, the officer in charge of the 673d MDG’s respiratory clinic. “Even though most people recover safely, it is still hospitalizing a significant number of people. The more people ignore guidelines, the more people need testing and are ultimately unable to support the mission.”

To support the fight against COVID-19, the 673d MDG has streamlined the process for testing on the installation by standing up a drive-thru respiratory clinic to ensure a safe, fast way to test patients.

It has been challenging getting the resources and testing capabilities to support the mission,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Karla Workman, the transfusions services chief assigned to the 673d MDSS. “Our lab techs have been working long hours to ensure that we have the capabilities and resources to provide testing for our beneficiaries. They have had the best attitudes and still come in smiling even though they have to readjust schedules, work long hours, and deal with daily process changes.”

Workman notes the importance of patience with the testing process.

Our unit is very involved with the COVID response here on the installation,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Rachel Jordan, the 673d Operational Medical Readiness Squadron Public Health Flight chief. “We are a small shop that is working hard to track our cases and maintain our focus on when it is safe to get them back to the mission.”

Jordan highlighted the need to continue following the health guidelines.

“As we are interviewing our cases, we are finding that many of our positive cases come from situations where the guidelines weren’t met,” Jordan said. “One of the biggest points we are pushing is making sure people are following the guidelines, especially in their work centers. Not following these basic guidelines could potentially put people’s offices and missions at risk.

Please show patience and kindness to our staff,” Lages said. “Your test results will take several days and sometimes the wait time to be tested is long. We have procedures in place to ensure patient safety and conservation of resources.

“For us, being a frontline worker means you cannot rest,” Lages continued. “You rest when the work is done, and the work never stops and we have had to adapt for long-term sustainment. We must remain ready to serve the population’s healthcare needs.”

In light of these challenges, the 673d MDG highlights the need to slow the spread of COVID-19 and the stress it causes on the healthcare system.

“Think about it this way, the impact of one nurse getting sick quickly creates a snowball effect on their unit and makes it hard for us to provide the needed care to those who really need it,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Myron Acosta, an intensive care unit nurse assigned to the 673d Inpatient Operations Squadron.

Another of JBER’s frontline workers echoed the need for continued vigilance against the threat.

“The little inconveniences of staying home and wearing a mask are worth it to reduce the workload of the healthcare system and to stop the spread to someone who might have an underlying health condition,” Workman said.

Overall, JBER’s Arctic Warriors need to work together to mitigate the threat to mission readiness across the installation and to protect those around them.

“We’re in this together,” Acosta said. “It might not affect you, but it could affect those around you

Flu shots available!

Flu shots are available for all beneficiaries (including Active Duty) beginning Monday, Nov. 30.

WHEN:
30 November - 11 December
Monday - Friday
0730-1700

WHERE:
Elmendorf Fitness Center
Bldg. 9510
Basketball Courts

Allocation of bamalnivimab for Alaska 480 doses.

(Lilly drug President Trump received when he contracted corona virus.)

https://www.phe.gov/emergency/events/COVID19/investigation-MCM/Bamlanivimab/Pages/allocation.aspx

 Operation Warp Speed will distribute vaccines alongside ancillary kits with all the required supplies to administer them, such as needles, syringes, alcohol pads and limited personal protective equipment. Currently, more than 1 million standard kits, which would cover 100 million vaccine doses, are assembled. Each standard kit, which support Moderna’s vaccine candidate, includes supplies to administer 100 doses. More than 20,000 Pfizer kits, which would cover 20 million vaccine doses, are assembled, with more in production every day. Each of the Pfizer kits, which also include the diluent required, include supplies to administer 975 doses

In general, a state/territory’s percentage of the country’s total number of confirmed COVID-19 patients and the total number of confirmed hospitalized patients during a 7-day reporting period will equal that state/territory’s percentage of available bamlanivimab for a given distribution week. Once allocation amounts are determined, HHS-ASPR will notify state/territorial health departments of their bamlanivimab allocations. State/territorial health departments, not the federal government, then determine how much bamlanivimab each health care facility within their respective jurisdictions can receive based on the state/territory’s total allocation. Health care facilities identified by their respective state/territorial health department to receive an allocation of bamlanivimab will coordinate shipping directly with the distributor, AmerisourceBergen.

In addition to allocations to states and territories, bamlanivimab is being allocated to the Department of Defense, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Indian Health Service for distribution within those healthcare systems.

Source.

https://www.phe.gov/emergency/events/COVID19/investigation-MCM/Bamlanivimab/Pages/default.aspx

 A COVID-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in Alaska early next month and could begin distribution to prioritized populations as soon as Dec. 22, said Alaska’s chief medical officer Dr. Anne Zink in a Monday news conference.

Source.https://mobile.twitter.com/juneauempire

New York times.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/alaska-coronavirus-cases.html

 The Yup’ik art of sewing feather-lined parkas for babies was nearly lost after the government outlawed the spring waterfowl hunt. Luckily, a centenarian Elder remembered how it’s done..

https://www.audubon.org/news/on-alaska-coast-native-women-are-reviving-cozy-tradition

 Mukluks are our traditional form of boots and warm winter wear that we wear on our feet. And they're made of many different things because Alaska is very large, but from my region, we have hard-sole bottoms, which are made out of seal skin. And then the top is made out of various selections of fur, but they're extremely warm and they're used for dance, they're used for practical subsistence use and daily wear. And it's just a matter of pride of getting those handmade items out of your closet and wearing them

 https://indiancountrytoday.com/newscasts/sharing-our-stories-from-alaska-7yTNv9gUDUyIts6ZL3Ti9Q

Raven successful landing in unalaska in the western Aleutian islands.

https://www.airportia.com/flights/7h8701/unalaska/anchorage/

Warren Polk lost his home on October 1 2020.

Black smoke arched across the Bethel skyline on Tuesday, Oct. 1, alerting the town to a house on fire. The house, near H-Marker Lake, belongs to Warren Polk. The fire destroyed all his family’s possessions, but before the flames had settled, the community had already started replacing them. KYUK talked with Polk about how his family is doing, and how the community can continue providing support.

Many people know Warren Polk by another name: sensei. That’s the role he was in Tuesday afternoon, teaching judo at the Kuskokwim Learning Academy. The windows of the building look west across the tundra, and through them, school staff pointed to smoke rising in the direction of Polk’s house. 

“I was like, ‘Oh!’ I was so involved in my class that I didn't even notice it,” Polk said.

He wasn’t sure if the fire was from his home, but it looked too close for comfort. So he got in his car, and the closer he drove to his house, the faster he went.

“I apologize for breaking any speed limits, but I took off once I realized it's coming from our house,” he described.

Polk had one thought in his mind: Constance, his 10-year-old daughter. She could be home from school, and because of her wheelchair she might not be able to get out. But she wasn’t inside. No one was. By the time Polk arrived, the fire department had already searched the two-story log house, now engulfed in flames. Polk remembers what he was thinking, watching fire consume the house his father and brothers had built 40 years ago: “It's unbelievable that it's actually yours. And it's about to disappear.”

The community began mobilizing to help the family of six. Polk, his wife, and their four school-age children were living in the home. The Red Cross called. His sister began organizing donations for clothes, toiletries, and other essentials. His niece set up a GoFundMe page. 

“Which is extremely helpful right now,”  Polk said. “Because you never quite fully understand how important a toothbrush is or one sock [is], for that matter, when you have no other toothbrush or another sock.”

A stranger walked up to Polk and put $200 in his hand, saying, "Don’t worry about it."

“And then all of a sudden, phone calls and texts started coming in from everywhere,” Polk remembered. "I was amazed."

Polk left the burning house and picked up his wife and children. They hugged and said a prayer of thanks for their safety. They drove to the store to get toothpaste and shampoo for the night. Then they went to a cousin’s house, where they’ve been staying since. They walked inside to find that bags of clothes had already arrived. That night, the whole family slept in the same room, just to be close. Polk and his wife focused on their children.

“We had to explain to them everything can be replaced except you,” he recounted. “So at this point we may lose some memories, but we're going to create some new ones, probably even better than the other ones. More important, we learn to stand together.

Continued. 

The next day, the kids went to school where, Polk says, their teachers, school staff, and friends rallied around them. Donations continued pouring in. All his children have new wardrobes. Polk says that his kids are already back to being themselves. It’s only been a few days since the fire, but he doesn’t detect any trauma or emotional scars, and he owes that to the immediate, immense community support. He’s grateful for everyone who’s helped his family.

“It's kindness like that that you just never forget,” Polk said. “So thank you, all of you, that have reached out to us thus far. Much appreciated.”

Rosie Brennan placed 17th in cross country skiing wold cup Finland.  She is from Alaska and is looking forward to the Olympics first race since February.  Sweden took the podium.

Why is the road blocked at the H marker.

That goes back about 30 years there Tundra. The land is a Native Allotment owned by Miss Polk. The city made the Tundra Ridge subdivision and wanted to make a shortcut to the airport. They went over the Polk's land without permission and all these years the older boys wanted the city to buy the land or give them what was owed for putting the road down. They didn't have permission from them and put the road down anyways. When Warren moved back home and into the huge waste of money log cabin, he wanted access to the house at all times. Now Earl Jr has a house there, too. Whenever it rained the road would go to hell with ruts and they couldn't get to the house. The were originally were going to block the road up when it rained so the road would stay fairly decent. When kids or adults flattened the tires on the red van and the gray car, they permanently shut the road down, only foot traffic and bicyclists like myself could go through.

Last week the city and the Polks agreed on a deal where the city would put a bunch of sand on the road and gravel on top of it to fill out the low areas of the road, they'd open it. Same time last week, some kids smashed out the windows to the van and he closed it permanently.

Now I can't even bike through the area, I just do the boring airport and back ride daily. (I'm that huge dude on the silver Giant Mountain Bike.) I really hope this gets resolved soon. In my opinion, if they don't allow the city to fix the road, the city should get their huge backhoe and dig a ditch across the road so they can't get to their houses, I mean if we can't go through it 

 I see your point and I guess I see their point too. I doubt they could dig across the road...it'd be like the city getting mad at you and digging across your driveway so you can't use the street. They didn't ask for that road to be put in but now that it is it's their driveway in a manner of speaking.

Seems like they could just work it out. Punishing the whole town because some punk busted the windows out seems a little stupid. 

Source http://www.city-data.com/forum/alaska/417598-whys-road-blocked.html