Go Away, Covid
Some of you might already have heard, but despite our best efforts (14 days of quarantine AND two negative tests before being allowed in the park, masks to match our uniforms, and as much social distancing as can be humanly managed in a tourist-based industry) the coronavirus did make it to Katmai:
King Salmon, AK – Katmai National Park and Preserve (Katmai NP&P) announced today the immediate closure of the Brooks Camp Developed Area (BCDA) to all visitors until further notice. The closure is in response to a request from local health officials after multiple positive cases of COVID-19 having been detected in the park’s residential community. The park is acting according to a COVID-19 operations plan developed alongside public health professionals. (Emphasis mine.)
Yup, you guessed it, I'm one of those positive cases.
Last Thursday they had a nurse practitioner come out and test us all again, even though no one had any symptoms. Two of us turned out positive. They notified us, and promptly whisked us off to plague-jail. My roomie, although she had tested negative, was collected the next day as a precaution. Then everyone else was retested (all negative) and Brooks Camp was shut down temporarily, to give the rest of the Rangers a chance to self-isolate in place and make sure no one else was going to get it.
So now I'm back in King Salmon in time out.
I get checked in on every day to make sure I'm neither sick nor starving. I have to tell you: the staff here has been incredibly solicitous: my department head sent me bear pictures so that I wouldn't feel so removed from the park, several other Rangers have checked in (remotely of course) to see how I'm holding up, and even the Superintendent of the Park (my boss's boss's boss) has called several times to see if I need anything. Three different people have offered to do grocery runs for me even. One Admin offered a liquor store run.
Don't worry. I'm still asymptomatic, and it looks like I'm in far more danger of dying of boredom than Covid at this point. Mostly I just want to get back to bear-related adventures. I AM glad the Park is taking it seriously though, and that the plan they had in place works.
Moral of the story: Hey tourists, please wear masks and back up a bit. Let's say... give bears 50 yards, and give Rangers 3. (Yes I know CDC recommends 2, but I like my personal space. You're lucky I'm not asking for 50 too.)
My roomie has it the worst (assuming I don't develop any symptoms, of course): As long as I'm asymptomatic, I can go back after 10 days. Since she DOESN'T have it yet, but was definitely exposed, she's got a longer sentence of 14 days, to see if she gets it. Remember how I was just saying how well we get along? Let's hope that is still the case when I get to go back before she can! What dessert can be made with remote-area-available ingredients and staves off resentment?
King Salmon, AK – Katmai National Park and Preserve (Katmai NP&P) announced today the immediate closure of the Brooks Camp Developed Area (BCDA) to all visitors until further notice. The closure is in response to a request from local health officials after multiple positive cases of COVID-19 having been detected in the park’s residential community. The park is acting according to a COVID-19 operations plan developed alongside public health professionals. (Emphasis mine.)
Yup, you guessed it, I'm one of those positive cases.
Last Thursday they had a nurse practitioner come out and test us all again, even though no one had any symptoms. Two of us turned out positive. They notified us, and promptly whisked us off to plague-jail. My roomie, although she had tested negative, was collected the next day as a precaution. Then everyone else was retested (all negative) and Brooks Camp was shut down temporarily, to give the rest of the Rangers a chance to self-isolate in place and make sure no one else was going to get it.
So now I'm back in King Salmon in time out.
I get checked in on every day to make sure I'm neither sick nor starving. I have to tell you: the staff here has been incredibly solicitous: my department head sent me bear pictures so that I wouldn't feel so removed from the park, several other Rangers have checked in (remotely of course) to see how I'm holding up, and even the Superintendent of the Park (my boss's boss's boss) has called several times to see if I need anything. Three different people have offered to do grocery runs for me even. One Admin offered a liquor store run.
Don't worry. I'm still asymptomatic, and it looks like I'm in far more danger of dying of boredom than Covid at this point. Mostly I just want to get back to bear-related adventures. I AM glad the Park is taking it seriously though, and that the plan they had in place works.
Moral of the story: Hey tourists, please wear masks and back up a bit. Let's say... give bears 50 yards, and give Rangers 3. (Yes I know CDC recommends 2, but I like my personal space. You're lucky I'm not asking for 50 too.)
My roomie has it the worst (assuming I don't develop any symptoms, of course): As long as I'm asymptomatic, I can go back after 10 days. Since she DOESN'T have it yet, but was definitely exposed, she's got a longer sentence of 14 days, to see if she gets it. Remember how I was just saying how well we get along? Let's hope that is still the case when I get to go back before she can! What dessert can be made with remote-area-available ingredients and staves off resentment?
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