The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reported 583 new COVID-19 cases in Alaska on Monday, including 50 on the Kenai Peninsula. Affected peninsula communities include Soldotna with 20 cases, Kenai with 16 cases, Homer with five cases, Other North with two cases, Seward with two cases, Sterling with two cases, Anchor Point with one case, Fritz Creek with one case and Nikiski with one case.

The new cases bring Alaska’s statewide case total to 28,863, including 27,669 residents and 1,194 nonresidents.

Over the past week, the Kenai Peninsula Borough has conducted 1,403 tests and saw a positivity rate of 15.89%. The current statewide alert level, based on the average daily case rate for the last two weeks, is high at 77 cases per day per 100,000 people. The Kenai Peninsula Borough’s alert level is higher at 92.03 cases per day per 100,000 people.

Locally, Central Peninsula Hospital has conducted 8,989 tests with 8,402 negative, 496 positive and 86 pending results. As of Tuesday, CPH was treating 12 patients who were COVID-19 positive, with none of their ventilators in use. There were also 17 positive residents at Heritage Place Skilled Nursing facility. Fifty six of CPH’s total staff of about 1,000 were in quarantine due to either testing positive for COVID-19 or having been identified as a close contact of someone with COVID.

South Peninsula Hospital has conducted 13,199 tests with 12,653 negative, 333 positive and 213 pending results.

The state also reported 14 new hospitalizations and 13 deaths. To date, 619 Alaskan residents have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 and 115 have died. Currently, there are 144 people hospitalized in Alaska who are COVID-19 positive or who are considered persons under investigation. Twenty one of the patients are on ventilators.

Five of the new deaths were recent and eight were reported following a death certificate review. Recent deaths include a Sterling man in his 70s, a Wasilla man in his 60s, a Dillingham woman in her 80s, a Bethel Census Area woman in her 80s and a Soldotna man in his 90s.

The eight deaths reported after death certificate review include an Anchorage woman in her 60s, a Soldotna man in his 80s, a Bethel man in his 30s, a Bethel Census Area woman in her 60s, a Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area man in his 90s, a Bethel Census Area man in his 70s, an Anchorage man in his 60s and a Kusilvak Census Area man in his 70s.

Alaska’s daily positivity rate for the past seven days, during which 28,774 tests were conducted, is 6.78%. To date, 943,401 tests have been conducted in Alaska.

In addition to the 50 cases on the peninsula, the state also reported 328 cases in Anchorage, 38 in Eagle River, 28 in Wasilla, 15 in Bethel, 14 in Nome, 13 in Fairbanks, 13 in Kodiak, 12 in Utqiagvik, nine in Palmer, seven in Bethel Census Area, seven in Chugiak, six in Delta Junction, six in Juneau, six in North Pole, five in Cordova, four in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, three in Kotzebue, two in Aleutians East Borough, two in Girdwood, two in Kodiak Island Borough and one case each in Aleutians West Census Area, Douglas, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Kusilvak Census Area, Nome Census Area, Northwest Arctic Borough, Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area and Sitka.

Five nonresident cases were also reported. One was reported in Eagle River, one was reported in Northwest Arctic Borough and three have locations under investigation.

Testing locations on the Kenai Peninsula

On the central peninsula, testing is available at Capstone Family Clinic, K-Beach Medical, Soldotna Professional Pharmacy, Central Peninsula Urgent Care, Peninsula Community Health Services, Urgent Care of Soldotna, the Kenai Public Health Center and Odyssey Family Practice. Call Kenai Public Health at 907-335-3400 for information on testing criteria for each location.

In Homer, testing is available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at the lower level of South Peninsula Hospital’s Specialty Clinic as well as through SVT Health & Wellness clinics in Homer, Seldovia and Anchor Point. Call ahead at the hospital at 907-235-0235 and at the SVT clinics at 907-226-2228.

In Ninilchik, NTC Community Clinic is providing testing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The testing is only for those traveling, symptomatic, needing testing for medical procedures, or with a known exposure after seven days. Only 20 tests will be offered per day. To make an appointment to be tested at the NTC Community Clinic, call 907-567-3970.

In Seward, testing is available at Providence Seward, Seward Community Health Center, Glacier Family Medicine and North Star Health Clinic.

Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.