Governor Announces Phase II of Reopen Alaska Responsibly Plan
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy today announced plans for Phase Two of the State’s approach to reopening segments of the Alaskan economy in an effort to balance the ongoing need to slow the rate of the COVID-19 infection with the critical need to resume economic activity in a reasonable and safe manner.
Beginning Friday, May 8, 2020, Phase Two of the Reopen Alaska Responsibly Plan will take effect, allowing most non-essential businesses to reopen with safeguards. This will allow for the following:
- 50% capacity for retail, restaurants, and other non-essential businesses outlined in Phase One. Walk-ins permitted.
- 50% capacity, or up to 20 patrons, for personal care services. Reservations only.
- 50 person capacity for social and religious gatherings.
- 25% capacity for fitness centers. Walk-ins permitted.
- 50% capacity for swimming pools. Walk-ins permitted.
- 25% capacity for bars, libraries, and museums. Walk-ins permitted.
Additional guidance will be available at the Reopen Alaska Responsibly page.
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August 2026
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New Oil on the North Slope
August 2026
In mid-May it was 19°F and windy at the Aurora Hotel in Deadhorse. As I stood in the parking lot surveying the surroundings, I chatted with a gentleman from Texas who works for Nabors Alaska Drilling and was in town as part of a crew tasked with getting a previously inactive drill rig up and running. He said that, according to his supervisor, spring is the windy season on the North Slope. The gusts were bracing, numbing the fingers holding my camera, but most of my attention was focused on what I could capture through the lens: work trucks, shipping containers, buildings obscured by snow whipped up by the wind.