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In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the Municipality of Anchorage on Thursday ordered all city employees who have the ability to work from home to do so.
“We urge Anchorage employers in the public, private and non-profit sectors to implement similar policies,” Mayor Ethan Berkowitz said in a written statement.
Directors from the municipality’s different departments will determine which of their employees will be able to work from home, said Ira Slomski-Pritz, a spokesman for the mayor’s office.
As the policy went into effect Thursday, it was unclear how many employees would be affected.
Slomski-Pritz said employees who are unable to work remotely are following the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hygiene guidelines and practicing social distancing. Department officials may change scheduled working hours to reduce the number of people working together in specific areas.
There will be limited changes to the police and fire departments, and Slomski-Pritz said street maintenance will continue.
The work-from-home policy is scheduled to last until the end of March, but Slomski-Pritz said it could be extended if needed.
Nine people in Alaska have tested positive for coronavirus as of Wednesday night.