In a town where nearly everyone lives in the same building, COVID-19 has emerged.
The Prince William Sound community of Whittier, where around 85% percent of its 280 year-round residents live in the 14-story Begich Towers building, now has six positive resident cases among a family there, according to Jim Hunt, Whittier city manager.
It’s not the first time COVID-19 has surfaced in the community, but it’s the first time the virus has shown up among residents.
About a month ago, there were two cases among workers in businesses along the harbor — one part-time nonresident and someone who lived outside of Whittier, Hunt said.
Before that, in early June, 11 seasonal seafood processor workers in Whittier also tested positive for COVID-19 and left for Anchorage along with their close contacts to isolate and quarantine.