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

In light of the recent surge in local covid cases, I’m wondering if the Haines Borough couldn’t post a daily count of active covid cases, using information provided by our SEARHC clinic and a tally kept by our local government through a voluntary, call-in system for infected folks who don’t seek clinic treatment.

The number determined by such a tally needn’t be exact. Even a rough number would provide a relative index of the extent of the virus in our town’s population. Such an index would provide residents with information they could use to help decide their social behavior, including whether to mask, get a booster shot, hold a dinner party, etc. Covid is proving itself a sneaky fellow. An index – possibly printed weekly in the newspaper and broadcast daily on KHNS – could prove a helpful tool in limiting outbreaks and keeping residents healthy.

Tom Morphet