Tyler Thompson

Governor Mike Dunleavy mandated that schools remain closed until May 1 to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Teachers are changing their curriculums to accomadte at-home education.

Some businesses in Dillingham have shut down or made adjustments as local, state and federal mandates were passed down this month.

This week, we covered teleconferences from Dillingham to Bristol Bay Borough, as both local governments prepare for a potential spread of the coronavirus. No cases have been confirmed in Bristol Bay. Dillingham business owners shared how they are coping with closures and changes to operations. Villages around Bristol Bay are shutting down travel and school districts share updates to academic calendars. 

In a special meeting by the Bristol Bay Borough, assembly members declared a local emergency response to recieve funding from state and federal government. Community members phoned in to share thoughts about the upcoming salmon fish season.

With Head Start programs across the state shutting down, over 3,000 kids are not receiving any in class services. The Bristol Bay Native Association’s Head Start program is taking precautions due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus. 

We are practicing social distancing while working to keep everyone up to date on the coronavirus. Alaska is now up to 12 cases. People from Bristol Bay have been tested, but the results are pending.

"Knowing that it’s the last time everyone is going to be able to watch us — we fought hard," said Captain Abby Whitcomb, a senior, about the team's last game in front of a crowd. Whitcomb's last season of high school basketball ended suddenly, as ASAA cancelled the state tournament amid coronavirus concerns. 

Prevention preparations ramp up in Bristol Bay, a day after Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced Alaska's first confirmed case of COVID-19. Concerns about the virus have upended plans for several regional organizations. 

The city of Dillingham is reaching out to processors ahead of the 2020 salmon season. The hospital can now test for COVID-19 if someone shows symptoms.

The school district is taking steps to prepare for the coronavirus a day after the state's first confirmed case was announced in Anchorage.

Thousands of fishermen, processors, and cannery workers will travel to Bristol Bay in the coming months to participate in the commercial fishery. As of Thursday afternoon, no one in the region had been tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus