We cover what Bristol Bay needs to know about the coronavirus. And we take a look at the Curyung Tribe's concerns regarding healthcare in the region, and what it wants to change.
Listen to the full show here:
There has been a lot of focus on the virus around the state, although there are no confirmed cases yet.
Education, preparedness and prevention of the coronavirus were the themes of a meeting in Dillingham this week, where officials met to gather community input on public health. While there are no confirmed cases of the virus in Alaska so far, community leaders want to coordinate their approach if the virus comes to Dillingham. KDLG’s Tyler Thompson attended the meeting and has the story.
The Dillingham City School District voted unanimously on two motions concerning an international trip with students at the end of the month due to the coronavirus.
At a special board meeting last night, the school board agreed to not support the Capitals of the British Isles tour with Education First. The district also voted to provide financial support to families and students with non-refundable deposits, insurance, and initial airfares through RAVN.
Program Leader Leslie Theurer is recommending travel vouchers for the families that can be used at a later date. The vouchers are good for any trips planned by the group through September 2021. Educational Tours is also willing to extend that deadline as things change over time. The vouchers can also be sold to family members or to other students in the district. Graduating seniors who are leaving for college, can also take the vouchers with them.
For more, Dr. Cathy Hyndman came down to the studio to fill us in on what is known about the virus so far, and some basic methods to prevent it.
Dr. Hyndman stressed that the Center for Disease Control was monitoring the virus closely, and was providing physicians with daily updates on the situation in each region and state.
The Curyung Tribe passed a resolution to withdraw its membership from the Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation last year if certain changes weren’t made. Now, Curyung tribal leaders are responding to concerns that a withdrawal would destabilize healthcare in the region. Izzy Ross reported on where Curyung is at in negotiations with the corporation.
Before we go, we take a quick trip to the KDLG kitchenette to learn about some basic health tips.
