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A third person in Ketchikan has tested positive for COVID-19, the Ketchikan Emergency Operations Center announced Friday afternoon.
It’s Alaska’s 13th known case of the virus.
The individual, a Ketchikan Gateway Borough employee, had been in close contact with the first person who tested positive for the illness in Ketchikan, the announcement said.
The person was tested for COVID-19 at the PeaceHealth Medical Center Emergency Room, the release said.
“Upon experiencing symptoms of illness, the individual self-isolated,” the announcement said.
Glenn Brown, the attorney for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, had previously said that he was the first person in Ketchikan with a confirmed case of the illness.
The second person who tested positive for the illness in Ketchikan is Brown’s spouse, according to Kacie Paxton, public information officer with the Ketchikan Gateway Borough.
The two had traveled in the Lower 48 together before returning to Alaska in March.
The third person who tested positive works in the White Cliff Building, which houses the borough offices.
The building has since closed until April 1, the announcement said.
“Borough employees in direct contact with the individual are self-isolating at home for a period of no less than 14 days,” the release said.
Public health officials will execute a “contact investigation” in order to determine who the individual may have come in contact with, according to the announcement.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.