Ketchikan's high COVID count prompts season's first ship to cancel

May 20, 2021

Justin Safranek/Ketchikan Daily News via AP

Medical Assistant Molly Bolton collects nasal swab tests at a Ketchikan Gateway Borough drive-up COVID-19 testing site May 13. Restaurants, bars and gyms in town have been asked to close as officials attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 after the city's pandemic risk level was raised to its highest level.

Ketchikan's first cruise ship of the year canceled its visit due to a spike in COVID-19 infections in the community, UnCruise Adventures director of marketing and communications Liz Galloway said last Thursday.

The Wilderness Legacy, carrying 55 passengers, was scheduled to arrive early last Friday morning and stay until about 6 p.m.

Ketchikan broke two pandemic records last Thursday, recording a record-high case count of 20 new infections, and marking an all-time high of 102 active cases. Then, on Friday, it set another record with 6.2% of COVID-19 tests coming back positive. A test positi...

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