Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday announced that the state, several Southeast Alaska communities and Norwegian Cruise Line have signed a multi-port agreement in accordance with requirements by the Centers for
Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday announced that the state, several Southeast Alaska communities and Norwegian Cruise Line have signed a multi-port agreement in accordance with requirements by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bringing the likelihood of large ships carrying passengers to the state in 2021 closer to reality.
The large ships have been unable to operate in Alaskaâs waters since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the industry in early 2020.
The port agreements required by the CDC are the second big challenge for cruise lines to meet, after the U.S. Passenger Vessel Services Act recently was temporarily waived through bipartisan effort at the federal level. That waiver was approved by Congress in the past week, allowing large ships to bypass a Canadian stop as previously was required by law. The PVSA prevented visits to Alaska from other U.S. states by large ships due to the closure of Canadian ports through February 2022.
With the signing of House Bill 76 and then ending the disaster declaration, Gov. Dunleavy is allowing the acceptance of federal COVID-19 relief funds without the need to pay it back. The legislation also ensures the continuation of the state’s vaccine distribution and COVID-19 management programs, which includes enhanced SNAP benefits for residents who are food insecure. The piece of legislation also contains a comprehensive liability protection for Alaska businesses, and bans the use of any federal COVID-19 relief funds to be used for abortions in Alaska.
Signing House Bill 76 also follows the recommendations by Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Adam Crum that concludes the public health emergency disaster declaration is no longer necessary in Alaska. In making the recommendations, Crum also signed a Public Health Order that would direct the DHSS to continually address the COVID-19 pandemic including vaccine efforts through local health officers, state
Print article Alaska’s pandemic state of emergency expired in February, and the bill would have retroactively extended the emergency through the end of the year, but immediately after signing the bill, Dunleavy declared the pandemic emergency over. Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Adam Crum was allowed to issue a more limited order that keeps the state eligible for federal aid that can be accepted only during an emergency. It also provides liability protection for medical providers as they coordinate COVID-19 testing, treatments and vaccines. Businesses are protected from COVID-19 liability as long as they are not grossly negligent.