Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

This week four new COVID-19 cases were reported, one asymptomatic female and three Excursion Inlet cannery workers. About 50 people attended an Emergency Operations Center meeting last Wednesday and the subject of wearing masks and how to get public buy-in dominated the discussion.

The meeting was advertised as an opportunity for the public to weigh in on EOC policy recommendations for COVID-19 response and the majority of those in attendance wanted to see more residents wearing masks.

“We all know people in the community run the gamut from thinking it’s a joke to being petrified over this,” CJ Jones said. “I think we are sending a good message out about wearing a mask, but we (need to) appeal to the fact that you’re not necessarily doing this for yourself, but make it clear we’re doing this for other people.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, COVID-19 spreads mainly between people through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. Those droplets usually travel about 6 feet and can be inhaled by people more easily within that distance.

“COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know that they are infected. That’s why it’s important for everyone to practice social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other people) and wear cloth face coverings in public settings,” according to the CDC. “Cloth face coverings provide an extra layer to help prevent the respiratory droplets from traveling in the air and onto other people.”

Clay Frick likened the discussion about wearing masks to smoking indoors and said the pandemic has become politicized.

“I feel that this is a health issue and I’m really shocked that this has been turned into a political issue on some people’s parts,” Frick said. “If we recognized this as a health issue, people will understand that.”

Residents suggested various tactics for increasing buy-in for residents to wear masks including asking businesses to require masks or make them available to customers, provide financial incentives to businesses to require masks, recommending assembly action and increase messaging.

EOC incident commander Carolann Wooten said being on the EOC is like walking a tightrope.

“We understand that we when we ask for recommendations, as an example, to wear masks, we understand that some people feel like that is restrictive or may even limit some of their personal liberties and then we also understand there are people who are scared (of COVID-19),” Wooten said. “We are always trying to walk the line somewhere in the middle.”

Ron Jackson said community leaders should wear masks and lead by example. “I think modeling mask wearing is a good way of showing people it’s okay and it’s a smart thing to do,” Jackson said. “Leadership cold do more... It should be normal to see people in masks.”

Vinny Simkin said it would be helpful to know which facts the EOC is working with and that there is a disconnect between groups in Haines depending on where people get their news from. He suggested the EOC release a flyer that lists the facts its working with.

“Regardless of what you believe or who you’re listening to or what you’re doing, if Haines would come out and say this is the set of facts we’re playing by, I think you would see a lot more cooperation.”

Some residents advocated for the assembly to mandate masks.

Wooten said encouraging behavior through education is more likely to be effective than mandating masks. “I think we have to be careful not trying to force behavior out of people because that usually doesn’t get the best response.”

No EOC recommendations were made in regard to masks at Tuesday’s regular assembly meeting.

Other communities are addressing masks in various ways.

Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz is preparing an emergency order mandating the wearing of face coverings in indoor public spaces and said he would issue it if COVID-19 cases continue to rise, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

The Wrangell Chamber of Commerce and the Wrangell assembly are discussing using CARES Act funding to offer an incentive program for residents to wear masks by randomly issuing coupons in stores to those wearing masks.