Alaska Pioneer Homes are resuming limited family visitations, after closing the facilities statewide to all visitors in March due to the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
State officials said the decision to do this was based on every resident and staff member in all six homes having received baseline COVID-19 tests, with all test results coming back negative. Each home will implement its own visitation plan.
Visits are not yet started at the Anchorage Pioneer Home due to the high rate of infection in the city of Anchorage. The Fairbanks Pioneer Home, which began allowing visits earlier in July, halted visits after a week due to the increase of COVID-19 cases in Fairbanks.
Anyone wishing to visit those living in any of the Pioneer Homes should contact that home directly for updates on when visits will be allowed and to explain their visitor policies.
More information is at dhss.alaska.gov/daph/Pages/contact.aspx.
