Economists were cautiously optimistic in their predictions for what 2020 would hold for the state’s economy. What none of them saw coming—what nobody saw coming—was the COVID-19 pandemic and the crippling economic damage it would cause.
“We are a well-tested community, which is assisting us in identifying cases early to prevent further spread of COVID-19 in our community,” says Audrey Gray, lead public information officer of the Anchorage Emergency Operations Center.
The rapidly warming climate is having negative impacts on rural communities in Alaska, where there are already significant barriers to creating the necessary infrastructure for solid waste and sewage management.
As scientists and medical experts work to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, the conversation has grown to include not just the safety and efficacy of a potential vaccine but the logistics surrounding its distribution as well.