COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 has been a pandemic/public health emergency which many of us have never seen in our lifetimes.  As such, many individuals, businesses, and governments have found themselves in unsure spaces when figuring out how to respond to the pandemic. 

The Qagan Tayagungin Tribe has worked to follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations, as well as health mandates issue by the State of Alaska and City of Sand Point.  As such, in March, the Tribe made the option available to employees to telecommute, until the Governor issued a health mandate encouraging those who were able to telecommute from home to do so, effectively implementing a shelter in place order. 

Tribal staff worked from home from March until May 4, 2020.  While home, many of them participated in going conversations on how Tribal programs would operate in a world dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Tribe has worked to reiterate practices to our citizenship and the public regarding best practices to keep each other safe by doing things like: washing hands frequently, social distancing, wearing face coverings in public and when social distancing isn't possible. 

The Tribe also worked to serve its clients in the safest way possible.  While teleworking, the Tribe implemented online procedures to work with clients, and for those who couldn't utilizing online options, phone calls were made by staff to serve clients remotely, with limited in person interaction.  Once work resumed in the office, staff worked to stagger client appointments in order to limit the number of public in the office, and individuals interaction with other individuals not of their household.  Mandatory face coverings were also implemented in the Tribal Office, along with other COVID-19 mitigation strategies like health screenings and social distancing protocols. 

Through out this time, Tribal staff have been working hard with other federal and Tribal agencies to serve Tribal citizens and community members to the best of their abilities.  They have brainstormed strategies to address the public health emergency, and worked to implement strategies to keep everyone safe, and address public health needs.  Times like these can be stressful as individuals are uncertain what tomorrow brings.  The Tribe is striving to continue providing client services in as safe an environment as possible, and it working to identify how it can continue to address the COVID-19 public health emergency.