Juneau lowered its pandemic alert level to “minimal” on Monday. The update means masks are no longer required in Juneau. The city still recommends masks indoors, especially for immunocompromised people or people at risk for severe illness. Large indoor gatherings are also permitted with social distancing of six feet.
The change comes as COVID-19 risk levels drop. Case levels have decreased and hospital capacity is stable, according to a city press release. The community is highly vaccinated and protective masks, at-home COVID tests, and therapeutics to treat the virus are available.
Face masks are still required in city buildings, but officials say an update to that policy will likely come later this week.
Juneau’s risk level is “medium” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At that level, the federal guidance for the community is roughly the same. CDC recommends talking to a healthcare provider about masking if you are at high risk for severe illness, staying up to date on vaccines and testing if you have symptoms.
The New York Times COVID-19 tracker points to the city’s high test positivity rate of 13% as an indicator that the number of new cases is being undercounted.
