January 25, 2021 (Anchorage, AK) – Today, Governor Mike Dunleavy introduced a bill (SB 56) relating to the extension of the public health disaster issued on January 15, 2021. This bill would extend the public health disaster emergency period to the end of the federal fiscal year, September 30, 2021, or until the commissioner of the Department of Health and Social Services certifies to the governor that there is no longer an outbreak of COVID-19 or an imminent threat of an outbreak in the State of Alaska, whichever is earlier.
“Extending the public health disaster until the end of September 2021 allows the state’s ongoing response to be able to have the tools and resources need to help Alaskans,” said Governor Dunleavy. “This bill includes a number of important provisions to protect the public and economic health of Alaskan residents during this unprecedented public health emergency period.”
The existing public health disaster declaration expires on February 14, 2021. Only the Alaska Legislature can extend the public health disaster beyond 30 days. The full text for SB 56 can be found here.
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