As of Wednesday, Aug. 12, all 17 of Cordova’s novel coronavirus cases have recovered, officials announced.
The city escalated its public health alert to Level 3 following the identification of a cluster of virus cases July 31. Though the city’s medical team determined that the cases were related, they were unable to determine how the initial infection took place, officials said.
During a Level-3 alert, the city requests a voluntary stepping-up of measures to prevent spread of the virus, but stops short of mandating the closure of businesses. In this case, the main purpose of the alert is to remind the public that it isn’t “business as usual,” City Manager Helen Howarth said.
“It doesn’t shift our rules, it doesn’t close businesses, it doesn’t do anything differently from a practical perspective, other than saying: really, really, really, really, really follow the rules, please,” Howarth said. “Don’t go to a bonfire and take off your mask and hang out with 30 people because, quote-unquote, ‘you don’t have COVID,’ and then all of a sudden there’s 30 people infected.”
The city’s most recent cases of the virus were identified Aug. 4. Of the 17 locally identified cases of the virus, eight were Cordova residents and nine were non-residents.
The city announced Aug. 6 that it would change its virus reporting procedures, updating its online coronavirus dashboard each weekday by 11 a.m., and immediately announcing any additional updates with a direct impact on public safety.
With a stable coronavirus response in place, the city has been able to devote more bandwidth to tasks not directly related to the pandemic, such as planning a budget for 2021. However, public complacency remains a risk, Howarth said.
“We’ve seen cases go crazy all over the state and all over the country, and here’s Cordova, clicking along, doing great,” Howarth said. “But we all have to remember that, in our community, COVID exists… Don’t assume you don’t have it.”
