I’m concerned that allowing transients to come and go may introduce the COVID-19 virus to our community. Several groups have asked for special treatment. I recently communicated with a medical doctor whose question was:
“Do I understand that the borough will allow transient mine workers, road workers, and workers on the fishing ramp into town without quarantine. Who came up with this bright idea?”
The borough has applied for a Critical Infrastructure Mitigation Plan with the State of Alaska and has also been working with the borough manager to create a Haines Borough Plan of Protection for returning Haines residents.
Sounds great but now we rely on the honesty of the workers, coworkers, mine management, etc. and the virus doesn’t discriminate. This will compound the possibility of introducing the virus into our community.
Explaining the legal jargon above:
Critical: crucial, vital, essential. Mitigation: ease or relieve.
I don’t see these workers as being crucial to our success as a borough.
The purpose of the government payments and forgivable loans is to tide people over and allow them to behave in a manner which will minimize risk of infection. Our best strategy is to minimize movement and wait for the inoculation. It is time to listen to the scientific and medical communities and emulate those who succeed.
Our community has many elderly people and they are the high-risk group.
If I am poorly informed and wrong about the borough’s actions I apologize.
Art Woodard