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Government responses to and political effects of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 (Alaska)
Ballotpedia’s coverage of COVID-19 includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and how those responses are influencing election rules and operations, political campaigns, the economy, schools, and more.
This article contains coverage of eight kinds of state government responses to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The article tracks developments in these areas that took place between the start of the pandemic in March 2020 through Dec. 4, 2020. The government responses covered here include:
- Changes to election dates and procedures in 2020
- Initial stay-at-home orders
- Executive orders
- Coronavirus-related legislation in 2020
- Changes to the state's 2020 legislative session
- Court closures
- The release of inmates
- Rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies
Additionally, the article includes:
- Arguments related to the state's response to the coronavirus
- Individual industries and activities from May 15 through July 31
- The state's initial plan to reopen from March and April 2020 closures
- Coronavirus resources relevant to the state.
To view current coverage areas, including mask requirements, school responses, travel restrictions, and much more, click a state in the map below.
Changes to election dates and procedures, March 16 through November 19
General election changes
Alaska modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: The witness requirement was suspended.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Primary election changes
Political party events in Alaska were modified as follows:
- Political party events: The Democratic Party of Alaska canceled in-person voting in its presidential preference primary, originally scheduled for April 4, 2020. All voting was conducted by mail. The receipt deadline for mail-in ballots was April 20, 2020.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Click the gray bar below for more detailed information.
Statewide stay-at-home order, March 23 through December 4
On March 27, Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) issued Health Mandates 011 and 012, which directed individuals in Alaska to stay home except for essential activities and closed nonessential businesses in the state.[5] The shelter-in-place order took effect March 28 and lasted until April 11. The order was originally set to expire on April 11, before Dunleavy extended it to last through April 21, 2020.[6][7]
On April 21, Dunleavy announced that some businesses could reopen with restrictions beginning April 24. The travel restrictions and social distancing mandate would remain in effect indefinitely. [8]
The health mandates contain a list of businesses that are considered essential. They are embedded below.
Executive orders, March 30 through June 29
- State of Emergency declared
- Administrative Order No. 315 directs the Department of Health and Social Services regarding COVID-19
- COVID-19 Health Mandate
- Health Mandate Issued on March 16: Libraries, Archives and Museums, Residential Schools
- Gov. Dunleavy announces Alaska Economic Stabilization Team
- Health Mandate 003: Statewide Closure Restaurants, Bars, Entertainment
- Health Mandate 004: Travel/ Health Mandate 004: Travel
- Health Mandate 005: Elective Medical Procedures
- Health Mandate 006 – Elective Oral Health Procedures
- Health Mandate 007 Fairbanks North Star Borough & Ketchikan Gateway Borough – Personal Care Services and Gatherings
- Health Mandate 008 Public and Private Schools
- Alaska COVID-19 Economic Stabilization Plan Released
- Health Mandate 009 Personal Care Services and Gatherings
- Health Mandate 010 International and Interstate Travel – Order for Self-Quarantine
- Governor Signs Legislation Expanding Unemployment Benefits and Increasing Internet Speeds for Alaska’s Schools
- Health Mandate 011 Social Distancing
- Health Mandate 012 Intrastate Travel – Limiting travel between communities to critical infrastructure or critical person needs
- Governor Extends COVID-19 Health Mandate 002, 002
- Governor Issues Update to COVID-19 Health Mandate 005
- Health Mandate 013 – K-12 Public and Private Schools
- COVID-19 Disaster Order of Suspension No. 2 Appendix A – Amendment 2 Relating to the Suspension of Sections of Alaska Administrative Code and Sections of Alaska Statutes
- Health Mandate 014 – Non-Congregate Sheltering Order
- COVID-19 Disaster Order of Suspension No. 2 Appendix A – Amendment 3 • Relating to the Suspension of Sections of Alaska Administrative Code and Sections of Alaska Statutes
- Health Mandate 015 Supercedes Mandate 005 on Elective Medical Procedures, Mandate 006 on Elective Oral Health Procedures, and affects health care providers directly addressed in Mandate 009 on Personal Care Services and Gatherings
- Health Mandate 16 – Reopen Alaska Responsibly Plan – Phase 1-A
- Health Mandate 17 Protective Measures for Independent Commercial Fishing Vessels
- Health Mandate 18: Intrastate Travel
- Updated: Health Mandate 10 International and Interstate Travel
- Updated: Health Mandate 17 Protective Measures for Independent Commercial Fishing Vessels
- Updated: Health Mandate 10 International and Interstate Travel – Order for Self-Quarantine
Court closures, March 17 through November 4
- September 26, 2020: Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Joel Bolger issued an order extending a ban on felony jury trials through the end of the year, but allowing for misdemeanor jury trials to resume in November.[9]
- August 6, 2020: Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Joel Bolger extended a ban on most jury trials through November 2.[10]
- May 29, 2020: The Alaska Supreme Court released statewide coronavirus visitor health precautions which applied to all visitors entering court facilities. Precautions included screening and social distancing measures. The court also extended the suspension of jury trials through September 1.[11]
- May 11, 2020: The Alaska Supreme Court extended restrictions on in-person proceedings through June 1. Jury trials were suspended through July 6.[12]
- April 24, 2020: The Alaska Supreme Court extended restrictions on jury trials and in-person proceedings through May 31.[13]
- March 24, 2020: The Alaska Supreme Court suspended all trial court proceedings and civil marriage ceremonies through May 1, except priority hearings. The court further ordered that all civil and criminal proceedings be held via telephone or video conference.[14]
- March 19. 2020: The Alaska Supreme Court suspended all superior and district court proceedings until April 3. [15]
- March 15, 2020: Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Joel Bolger ordered that all new jury trials be suspended effective March 16.[16]
Legislative session changes, March 20 through October 1
On March 29, 2020, the Alaska State Legislature suspended its session, effective immediately and continuing through May 18, 2020. The legislature adjourned on May 20, 2020.[17][18]
Proposed and enacted legislation, March 25 through August 19
See below for a complete list of bills related to the coronavirus pandemic in Alaska. To learn more about a particular bill, click its title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
Rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies, April 9 through November 24
- July 1, 2020: The moratorium on evictions expired July 1.[19]
- April 9, 2020: Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) signed Senate Bill 241, part of which suspended evictions and foreclosures in the state through June 30, 2020.[20]
- March 20, 2020: Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) released the "Alaska COVID-19 Economic Stabilization Plan". As part of the plan, Dunleavy signed an executive order stating that 13,000 Alaskans who received rental assistance through the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation would not face eviction for 60 days. The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation suspended foreclosures and evictions and the governor authorized loan services to grant forbearance to homeowners suffering financial hardships due to the shutdown.[21]
Prison inmate release responses, March 30 through July 1
- Between March 30 and July 1, Alaska did not make an announcement concerning the release of incarcerated individuals due to coronavirus on state level.
Ballotpedia is covering the debate over continuing restrictions and closures in Alaska in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Click on the links below to read more about these debates.
- Debate over the stay-at-home order
- Debate over travel restrictions
- Debate over school closures
- Debate over religious service restrictions
- Debate over election policy
Status of industries, May 15 through July 31
Between May 15 and July 31, we conducted detailed tracking of industries and activities in each state daily.
- "Yes" means an activity was allowed or an industry was permitted to open. "No" means an activity was not allowed or an industry was not permitted to reopen.
- Some rules were applied regionally rather than statewide. Each cell shows the loosest restriction in place at the time, or the broadest level of an activity permitted in the state, even if that activity was only permitted regionally. Where applicable, we indicated that an activity was only permitted regionally, and provided details in a cell note. For example, if gyms were permitted to open in half of a state, the spreadsheet would say "Yes (regionally)," and differences between the regions would be explained in a note.
- A lack of detail in a note or parentheses does not necessarily mean that an activity or industry was "back to normal." We did our best to capture caveats, exceptions, and modifications to activities. We acknowledge, though, that states put forth a large number of requirements for many industries and activities.
Initial reopening plan from March and April 2020 closures
Alaska released an initial reopening plan from March and April 2020 closures on April 21, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on June 19. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.
Summary from Documenting America's Path to Recovery
On April 21, Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) announced he would ease restrictions on some businesses on Friday, April 24, beginning the first phase of a five-phase reopening plan. Dunleavy said, “Through the public’s outstanding efforts to social distance and adhere to the health mandates set in place, we have witnessed a slow in the spread of COVID-19, effectively protecting the health of our families and loved ones. Compliance with the health mandates came with an economic slowdown and it is time to take a multi-phased approach to reopening our economy. Alaska’s many local businesses and industries are vital to the economic health of the state, and I am pleased that our efforts to protect the health and well-being of Alaskans are showing statistics that allow us to reopen business.”
The reopening overview listed four metrics that would determine progress between phases.
- Disease activity: a consistently declining or stable level of COVID-19 activity in Alaska
- Testing capacity: enough capacity and access for quick and sufficient COVID-19 testing
- Public health capacity: enough capacity to investigate, contact trace, and monitor everyone with COVID-19, plus their contacts
- Health care capacity: enough space, equipment, and supplies for personnel to safely and effectively care for everyone with COVID-19, plus everyone else who needs health care
Context
- On March 27, Dunleavy issued Health Mandate 011, which required Alaskans to stay home unless performing essential activities. Dunleavy also issued Health Mandate 012, which limited movement within the state to travel for essential needs or to support critical infrastructure. On April 9, Dunleavy extended the health mandates through April 21. On April 21, Dunleavy extended some restrictions, while also allowing businesses to begin reopening on April 24.
- As of June 19, Alaska has reported 722 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 12 fatalities. Alaska had an estimated population as of July 2019 of 731,545. For every 100,000 residents, the state had 98.7 confirmed cases and 1.6 deaths.
- Alaska has a divided government. Republicans control the governor’s office and the Senate, while the House is split as the result of a power-sharing agreement.
Plan details
Phase I
Phase I began on April 24. The following businesses and activities were permitted to resume:
- Most non-essential businesses were permitted to reopen if they could meet requirements related to social distancing and capacity restrictions.
- Retail stores were allowed to reopen at 25% of the maximum building capacity or 20 customers, whichever was smaller.
- Restaurants could resume indoor dining if capacity was limited to 25% and groups were limited to household members only. Cloth face coverings were required for all employees.
- Personal care services, including hair salons and tattoo shops, were prohibited from offering walk-in services and restricted to no more than 10 people in a shop at the same time.
- Gatherings of up to 20 people.
- Elective medical services.
- Childcare and day camps, fishing charters, and lodging and overnight camping were also allowed to resume or reopen with social distancing and capacity restrictions.
- Bars and entertainment venues were to remain closed.
Phase II
Phase II began on May 8. The following businesses were allowed to reopen or expand activity:
- Most businesses allowed to reopen under Phase I could operate at 50% capacity, including retail, restaurants, personal care services, and offices. Personal care services continued to be limited to reservations only.
- Gyms bars, libraries, and theaters were permitted to reopen at 25% capacity.
- Swimming pools were permitted to reopen at 50% capacity.
- Social gatherings could include up to 50 people, including non-household members.
Phase III/IV
Alaska moved up the timeline for adopting the Phase IV reopening guidelines, essentially skipping over the original Phase III restrictions. This phase, which the state refers to as "Phase III/IV," went into effect on May 22.
Under Phase III/IV, all businesses and most activities were permitted to reopen at 100% capacity or resume without restrictions.
A few restrictions were kept in place, including:
- Quarantine requirements for international and interstate travel.
- Limited visitation access to senior centers and long-term care facilities.
- Restrictions on K-12 public schools.
As of June 6, travelers coming to Alaska are asked to be tested at least 72 hours before arriving in the state. Travelers can avoid a 14-day quarantine requirement if they present a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival. Visitors without a test can also be tested at an airport. Once tested, they must quarantine until their test results come back. The Reopen Alaska Responsibly Plan was originally supposed to unfold over five phases. As of this writing, the state has not released guidance on what a fifth phase of reopening might look like. Just before the state entered Phase III/IV, Dunleavy said "It will all be open, just like it was prior to the virus," and "I think the people of Alaska get that they need to stay away from folks if they don’t want to get the virus. That they need to wash their hands and wipe things down. People get that."
Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.
State resources
Twitter feeds for government officials and agencies appear below.
Federal resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of Education
- World Health Organization
See also
- Documenting America's Path to Recovery
- Alaska’s path to recovery from the coronavirus pandemic
- School responses in Alaska to the coronavirus pandemic
- School responses to the coronavirus pandemic by state
- COVID-19 vaccine distribution by state
- Travel restrictions by state
- Federal government responses to the coronavirus pandemic
Footnotes
- ↑ Supreme Court of Alaska, "Alaska v. Arctic Village Council: Order," October 12, 2020
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "State appeals to Alaska Supreme Court in ballot witness case," October 6, 2020
- ↑ Twitter, "Andrew S. Kitchenman: March 23, 2020: 1:39 PM," accessed March 25, 2020
- ↑ Alaska Democrats, "HOW TO VOTE BY MAIL WITH A DOWNLOADABLE BALLOT," accessed March 25, 2020
- ↑ Governor of Alaska, "Health Mandates 011 and 012," accessed March 31, 2020
- ↑ The Washington Post, "You’re under a stay-at-home order? Here’s what that means in your state." April 24, 2020
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Statewide shelter in place, travel ban ordered as Alaska sees first in-state COVID-19 death," March 27, 2020
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Gov. Dunleavy says Alaska will ease some coronavirus restrictions starting later this week," April 21, 2020
- ↑ Seattle Times, "Alaska top court says some jury trials to resume in November," September 26, 2020
- ↑ KDLL, "In-person jury trial postponement extended to Nov. 2," August 7, 2020
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Coronavirus and the Courts," June 1, 2020
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Coronavirus and the Courts," May 12, 2020
- ↑ IN THE TRIAL COURTS FOR THE STATE OF ALASKA, "AMENDED' SECOND UPDATED PRESIDING JUDGES' STATEWIDE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER GOVERNING RELAXATION AND SUSPENSION OF VARIOUS COURT RULES BASED ON THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC," April 24, 2020
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Coronavirus and the Courts," March 25, 2020
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Coronavirus and the Courts - March 20 Round-Up," March 20, 2020
- ↑ KTOO, "Alaska courts suspend Anchorage trials next week because of coronavirus," March 13, 2020
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska Legislature approves $4.5 billion budget plus $1,000 Permanent Fund dividend, then departs Juneau," March 29, 2020
- ↑ Multistate, "2020 Legislative Session Dates," last updated May 20, 2020
- ↑ KTUU, "CARES Act foreclosure and eviction moratorium in place until July 25," July 1, 2020
- ↑ The Alaska State Legislature, "HCS CSSB 241(RLS) am H: "An Act extending the March 11, 2020, governor's declaration of a public health disaster emergency in response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic; relating to the COVID-19 outbreak; relating to a financing plan; relating to standing orders of the chief medical officer; relating to occupational and professional licensing; relating to telemedicine and telehealth; relating to fingerprinting requirements; relating to elections in calendar year 2020; relating to permanent fund dividend applications; relating to automatic voter registration; relating to tax filings, payments, and penalties; relating to shareholder meetings; relating to corporations; relating to municipal government deadlines; relating to the Alaska regional economic assistance program; establishing a conclusive presumption that COVID-19 is an occupational disease for firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, peace officers, and health care providers; relating to allowable absences for the permanent fund dividend; relating to the Department of Health and Social Services; relating to retail sellers; tolling deadlines for action by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska; relating to disconnection of utility service for nonpayment; relating to power cost equalization; relating to regulatory assets of a utility; relating to evictions; and providing for an effective date." March 22, 2020
- ↑ Office of Governor Mike Dunleavy, "Governor Dunleavy Unveils Alaska COVID-19 Economic Stabilization Plan," March 20, 2020
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