Local Covid Counts Jump In Past Week... As Omicron Hits Copper Valley

National & Alaskan Trends All Show Far More Covid With Omicron Variant In Play 

33 New Known Cases Here In A Week.
5,508 New Known Alaskans In Two Days 

 UPDATE: FEBRUARY 19th 

 State reports 10,000 known cases in 5 days. 

Friday, January 14th, 2022 

Covid is on the upswing in the Copper River Valley. In the past week, Cross Road, Mount Sanford Tribal Consortium and CRNA have officially noted 33 cases in the Copper Valley. This is a dramatic surge compared to the 8 new cases identified locally last week.

It reflects the growing amount of virus that is circulating throughout the world, the U.S. and Alaska. In Alaska as a whole, record numbers of people are being reported sick; over 5,500 new people were stricken in the past two days. 

(Of course this is not necessarily the full number; many people don't get tested, or don't report their illness.) 

However, in the Copper Valley, Jim Godin at CRNA told the Country Journal on January 14th: "We're certainly on the front edge of the curve and we're in the midst of it." 

To combat Covid 19, CRNA recommends vaccinations, boosters, masking, distancing, hand cleanliness, and basic caution.

Doctors say that masking really helps; they say the best masks are called N95 masks (which are the masks many local people typically have around for use in woodworking, or installing fiberglas batting.) Tight-fitting masks are best because the omicron variant is very easy to catch.