The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced 348 new COVID-19 cases in Alaska on Monday, of which 347 are residents.
Affected communities include Anchorage with 143 cases, Wasilla with 59 cases, Fairbanks with 22 cases, Palmer with 19 cases, Kenai with 13 cases, North Pole with 13 cases, Soldotna with 13 cases, Eagle River with 10 cases, Fairbanks North Star Borough with 10 cases, Chevak with nine cases, Juneau with eight cases, Sterling with five cases, Homer with three cases, Bethel Census Area with two cases, Chugiak with two cases, Delta Junction with two cases, Dillingham Census Area with two cases and one case each in Anchor Point, Big Lake, Kenai Peninsula Borough North, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Petersburg, Seward, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Utqiagvik, Valdez and Willow.
One nonresident case was reported in Anchorage. The new cases bring Alaska’s statewide case total to 14,413, including 13,360 residents and 1,053 nonresidents.
The state hit a new record on Sunday when it reported 526 new cases, the highest single-day increase in Alaska to date.
The statewide alert level, based on the average daily case rate for the last two weeks, is high at 33.27. The Kenai Peninsula Borough’s alert level is also high at 25.7.
High risk is defined as more than 10 cases per 100,000 population. Intermediate risk is five to 10 cases per 100,000 population and low risk is fewer than five cases per 100,000 population.
The state reported no new deaths or hospitalizations. To date, 391 people have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Alaska and 68 people have died. Currently, there are 50 people hospitalized who are COVID-19 positive. Nine of the patients are on ventilators.
The average daily positivity rate in Alaska for the past seven days, during which 17,427 tests were conducted, is 5.85%. To date, 570,844 tests have been conducted in Alaska. Over the past week, the Kenai Peninsula Borough conducted 593 tests and saw a 9.95% positivity rate, according to DHSS’ Coronavirus Response Hub.
Locally, Central Peninsula Hospital has conducted 7,164 tests with 6,828 negative, 200 positive and 131 pending results. South Peninsula Hospital has conducted 10,985 tests with 10,755 negative, 146 positive and 84 pending results.
Statewide 6,302 people have recovered from COVID-19.
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.
