Seward is once again requiring masks in public spaces where social distancing is not possible. The emergency ordinance, passed unanimously at Monday night's meeting, will take effect at midnight tonight.

This ordinance goes for 30 days, though the city may renew it when that period is up.

Seward put a similar emergency ordinance in place this July, but that expired this fall. To date, it’s the only city on the peninsula that has made masks mandatory.

Another coronavirus patient at Central Peninsula Hospital died yesterday, bringing the total COVID-19 deaths at the hospital to three since Nov. 12.

One of those deaths was a resident of Heritage Place, the nursing facility that had an outbreak earlier this month. Hospital spokesman Bruce Richards says there are currently 17 active coronavirus cases at Heritage Place.

Eight Kenai Peninsula Borough residents have died due to COVID-19. Statewide, 115 Alaska residents have died. The state recorded its highest number of deaths in one day today, at 13.

The southern half of Cook Inlet will have a new fishery management plan in under a month. Commercial fishermen are organizing with the help of their city councils to make sure that plan is not the proposed “Alternative 4,” which would close off federal waters south of Kalgin Island to commercial salmon fishing.

Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel is bringing forth a resolution to oppose such a closure at a special Kenai City Council meeting tonight.

“I hate to be overdramatic in a lot of cases, but you could almost call it a deathknell for drift fishing in Cook Inlet,” he said.

The decision by Federal Judge Sharon Gleason to uphold Obama-era regulations in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge comes amidst a months-long effort by the state and hunting advocates to change those regulations, as well as a concurrent effort to keep them in place.

This summer, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed changes to existing refuge rules that include allowing hunting brown bears over bait and remove trapping setbacks from trails and trailheads, among others. The service is currently sifting through the tens of thousands of comments it received in response — most in opposition.