The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced 374 new COVID-19 cases in Alaska on Wednesday, including seven on the Kenai Peninsula. Affected peninsula communities include Soldotna with four cases, Kenai with one case, Nikiski with one case and Other South with one case.
The new cases bring Alaska’s statewide case total to 46,483, including 44,966 residents and 1,517 nonresidents.
Over the past week, the Kenai Peninsula Borough has conducted 868 tests and saw a positivity rate of 3.23%. To date, the borough has conducted 53,526 tests. The current statewide alert level, based on the average daily case rate for the last two weeks, is high at 37.89. The Kenai Peninsula Borough’s alert level is also high at 32.55.
The state also reported 13 new hospitalizations and two new deaths. To date, 1,017 people in Alaska have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 and 203 have died. The new deaths include a Kodiak woman in her 70s and a Soldotna man in his 70s. Currently, there are 75 people hospitalized in Alaska who are COVID-19 positive or who are considered persons under investigation for the disease. Ten of the patients are on ventilators.
Alaska’s daily positivity rate for the past seven days, during which 19,697 tests were conducted, is 4.82%. To date, 1,267,092 tests have been conducted in Alaska.
In addition to the seven new cases on the peninsula, the state also reported 113 cases in Anchorage, 69 in Wasilla, 29 in Eagle River, 25 in Palmer, 23 in Fairbanks, 19 in Bethel Census Area, 14 in Bethel, 12 in Kodiak, eight in Utqiagvik, five in Cordova, five in Juneau, five in Valdez-Cordova Census Area/Chugach, four in Chugiak, four in North Pole, three in Chevak, three in Ketchikan, three in North Slope Borough, two in Big Lake, two in Dillingham Census Area, two in Fairbanks North Star Borough, two in Unalaska, two in Valdez-Cordova Census Area/Copper River and one each in Nome, Nome Census Area, Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Tok, Willow and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area.
Six nonresident cases were also reported. Three have locations still under investigation, two were reported in Anchorage and one was reported in Soldotna.
Schools risk levels
Winter break began for most KPBSD schools on Dec. 18. School will resume on Jan. 4. Currently schools in the eastern, central and southern areas of the peninsula are operating at high-risk level.
The central peninsula is considered high risk when 52 or more cases have been reported in the region in the last 14 days. As of Wednesday, 204 cases had been reported in the central peninsula over the last two weeks, meaning the region will have to lose 153 cases in order to drop back into medium-risk level.
The southern peninsula is considered high risk when 20 or more cases have been reported in the region in the last 14 days. As of Wednesday, 45 cases had been reported in the southern peninsula over the last two weeks, meaning the region will have to lose 26 cases to drop back into medium-risk level.
The eastern peninsula is considered high risk when eight or more cases have been reported in the region in the last 14 days. As of Wednesday, 21 cases had been reported in the eastern peninsula over the last two weeks, meaning the region will have to lose 14 cases to drop back into medium risk.
Cooper Landing School and Hope School were preventatively shifted to medium-risk level on Dec. 4 by the district in response to growing COVID-19 cases on the peninsula.
Susan B. English School, Nanwalek School and Port Graham School were open for on-site learning and operating at low-risk level at the conclusion of the academic quarter, Dec. 18.
During 100% remote learning, Get-It and Go meals are free for all students and can be picked up daily at school. Operational risk levels, case incidence rates and case numbers by community are updated daily on the district’s risk levels dashboard at covid19.kpbsd.org/dashboard.
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. Drive-thru testing will be available Jan. 5-7 at the Seward Community Health Center from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Testing is free. Call 907-224-2273.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
