- COVID-19 quiets Sitka streets, but hasn’t curbed Rush to Stock Up - April 25, 2020
- Sitka School District distributes 5,950 meals per week - April 24, 2020
By Zosha Krupa
In a town with only 8,000 residents, Sitka is far from being considered a bustling community. Most people set their clocks to Leisurely Time, rather than Alaska Standard. Businesses open roughly at 9:30am and make sure to close promptly at 5:00pm, including the US Post Office. The fourteen miles of road suffer more from weather damage than repeated use, and rest assured, drivers can reach their intended destination in ten minutes or less. It’s hard to believe a town as quiet as Sitka could become even more somber, but as of Sunday, March 22, that’s precisely what happened when the citywide COVID-19 restrictions forced people to hunker down in their homes and wait out the two-week shelter-in-place order.
Looking for a location beaming with life other than seagulls, I visited a multitude of places that human interaction typically occurs. In contrast, what I found was a sleepy, seaside town that had seemingly fallen into a deep coma. I drove from one end of the main street to the other and not a single car or pedestrian was in sight. I peered through the windows of restaurants, gas stations, retail shops, and hair salons only to find darkness staring back. It appeared even stray dogs and cats were adhering to the shelter-in policies.
Was I the only Sitka resident daring enough to breathe outside the confines of my home and practice social distancing? Rather than accept defeat, I turned my crusade to find human life into a game of hide-and-seek. I asked myself, “Where is the one place people are sure to gather in a time of despair?’ The grocery store, of course! Thus began my two-minute journey from downtown to the nearest market.
It appears my ability to seek those hiding, matches that of a golden retriever. The store was teeming with shoppers, all of whom were performing a unique social distancing dance. Watching from a cold, wooden bench just near the entrance, I could see the anxiousness on shopper’s faces as they approached the carts. Every set of eyes scanned the area for the supplied disinfectant wipes, and when new shoppers entered the building, each would wait their turn, as those ahead of them would systematically wipe their carts clean. Smiles were abundant, as were head nods, but very little conversation took place. A quick “hello’ or “how are you?’ was tossed into the atmosphere, but people were reluctant to engage further. It was almost as if the sterilized air filling their nostrils reminded them to keep it that way. I half expected to see people rushing through the aisles, throwing all they could into their carts, but to the contrary, no one behaved irrationally. However, I did notice a few shoppers that chose their items carefully, placing them gently in their carts, as if they might explode upon impact with the metal grate.
Insanity? No. Even those that seemed leery about entering a potential COVID-19 petri dish managed to remain calm. I decided my time among the living needed to be brief, since loitering is not permitted during the shelter-in order, but through my observations, I was able to determine that Sitka is a city of solidarity.
Sundog Times
Zosha Krupa is a 21-year-old communications major, minoring in fisheries. She has worked with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for two summers, collecting data and genetics on fisheries in Southeast Alaska. Her hometown is Sitka, Alaska, where she grew up hunting and fishing, and boating to nearby islands to camp. In addition to enjoying outdoor activities, Zosha loves to play competitive team sports. She is currently reporting from Sitka, while wearing a face mask and distancing herself from others.
