Giving back to neighbors hit hardest by the pandemic Author: Amanda Moser Published December 18, 2020 Share on Facebook Print article There’s no doubt Anchorage has been hit hard by the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Downtown streets are empty, restaurants are shuttering for the season or permanently, hotels face high vacancy rates, and many retail shops are barely hanging on. Pandemics particularly affect areas like Anchorage which rely on tourism and visitors to stay afloat. Unfortunately, the brunt of that impact is borne by frontline workers who have lost employment or worse — those who have gotten sick with COVID-19. Add the almost 20 hours of darkness each day in Anchorage in winter, and the isolation faced by many quarantining and working remotely, and the stress and burden during these times climbs even higher for our community.