On Dec. 14, the North Slope Borough assembly unanimously adopted a resolution to extend the declaration of emergency in response to COVID-19 through the end of March 2021. The designation allows the borough to allocate funding to meet the needs of the community.
The same day, Mayor Harry Brower Jr. announced an extension of the emergency "hunker down" order in Utqiaġvik through Dec. 31. The "hunker down" order — originally instated in September to curb the spread of the virus, and extended at least once a month since — encourages local people to follow state guidelines to reduce large gatherings, wear masks in public and maintain 6 feet of distance from nonhousehold members. It also asks that nonessential workers remain home.