Coronavirus Alaska versus California

Recently, I travelled to Alaska and had an amazing time. However, prior to visiting I had heard many rumors about how red-state-last-frontier Alaska was dealing with the coronavirus differently than blue-state hyper-sensitive California.

In California people have to wear masks to go into stores, restaurants, or to go on fishing boats. Many Californians still wear masks when walking outside and occasionally will still cross the street rather than walking by some one. Less so now since the mask mandate has been lifted, but it still happens. Los Angeles still has an announcement at the airport that when visiting the city you are subject to a 14-day voluntary quarantine.

In Alaska, I was concerned about the need to get a covid test with negative results before visiting. Fortunately, that rule was changed a few weeks before I arrived and vaccinated travelers did not need to be tested. Not only that, a test was only voluntary now. I am not sure who would take a voluntary test at the airport if they didn't have to, but the testing station was still there. I heard rumors that masks weren't need in freedom-loving Alaska. That was not true. At my hotel, everyone wore a mask. At breakfast the next morning in downtown Anchorage, the hostess handed me a mask as soon I stepped through the door. On the trolley tour and glacier cruise, masks were also required. Although walking down the street, no one wore masks. So in many ways, except for the Alaska testing and Los Angeles quarantine, I saw no difference between California and Alaska covid restrictions. However, I did feel a difference. People in Alaska did not seem as concerned. Restaurants were full and once we boarded the tour or cruise, masks came off to drink water and eat and never really went back on and no one seemed to mind.

It would have been more interesting to compare the two states two months ago when the vaccine was just being rolled out and Los Angeles was still in virtual lockdown.

Someone I spoke to from Eastern Washington said his town (except for the schools) had been operating all year as if there was no such thing as the coronavirus. Restaurants were open, no one wore masks, and no one got sick.

The strictest place I have found regarding masks during my trip was on board airplanes.

However, even on the planes I was surprised by how lenient the crews were with masks. I think it is the whole eating/drinking loophole that creates the gray area. I had brought a burger at the airport that I took on the first plane. I pulled my mask down, hunkered down between seats not to be seen taking a bite, and then pulled up my mask to chew. Fortunately, it was a disposable mask because it soon smelled like hamburger and I had to swap it out when I was done.

However, once the drink and snack cart rolled around, people's masks came down to eat and drink. I no longer had to hid in shame to eat. What a relief! That is not to say that people were not wearing masks. Everyone had them. As we neared the end of one flight, I went to the restroom and saw everyone with a mask up. And before take off, I heard flight attendants asking a couple of people to pull their masks over their nose. No fuss. People did what they were supposed to do and the flights went smoothly.

All in all, while Alaska felt more relaxed regarding measures to prevent coronavirus' spread, visibly and at least on the books, I didn't see much of a difference between the two states.

That is the great thing about travel, you see that we aren't really different after all.

Take care and be safe.