The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced 381 new COVID-19 cases in Alaska on Tuesday, 378 of which are residents.
Affected communities include Anchorage with 146 cases, Fairbanks with 46 cases, Wasilla with 41 cases, Utqiagvik with 14 cases, Kenai with 13 cases, Palmer with 13 cases, Chevak with 12 cases, Eagle River with nine cases, North Pole with nine cases, Juneau with eight cases, Soldotna with eight cases, Bethel Census Area with six cases, Denali Borough with six cases, Fairbanks North Star Borough with six cases, Kotzebue with four cases, Bethel with three cases, Chugiak with three cases, Dillingham Census Area with three cases, Kusilvak Census Area with three cases, Nome Census Area with three cases, Kenai Peninsula Borough North with two cases, Valdez-Cordova Census Area with two cases, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area with two cases and one case each in Anchor Point, Bristol Bay and Lake and Peninsula, Delta Junction, Douglas, Homer, Hooper Bay, Houston, Kenai Peninsula Borough South, Kodiak, Mat-Su Borough, Nome, North Slope Borough, Seward, Sterling, Willow and Yakutat and Hoonah-Angoon.
Three nonresident cases were reported. Two were reported in Wasilla and one has a location still under investigation. The new cases bring Alaska’s statewide case total to 14,798, including 13,742 residents and 1,056 nonresidents.
The state also reported more than 300 new cases Monday.
The statewide alert level, based on the average daily case rate for the last two weeks, is high at 35.37. The Kenai Peninsula Borough’s alert level is also high at 27.17.
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 two new deaths and nine new hospitalizations. The deaths included an Anchorage male in his 80s and a Fairbanks male in his 90s. To date, 400 people have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Alaska and 70 people have died. Currently, there are 81 people in Alaska who are COVID-19 positive or who are considered persons under investigation for the disease. Eight of the patients are on ventilators.
The average daily positivity rate in Alaska for the past seven days, during which 18,983 tests were conducted, is 6.61%. To date, 577,429 tests have been conducted in Alaska. Over the past week, the Kenai Peninsula Borough conducted 674 tests and saw an 11.13% positivity rate, according to DHSS’ Coronavirus Response Hub.
Statewide 6,370 people have recovered from COVID-19.
Also on Tuesday, the state announced that cases of COVID-19 were identified among cadets at the Alaska Military Youth Academy on their campus.
Nine cadets tested positive for COVID-19 and 27 are currently in isolation. Of the 27 isolated, 11 are reported to be “feeling better now” and moved into a recovery zone Tuesday. Thirty five non-symptomatic male cadets were consolidated into 2nd Platoon Barracks. Thirty two non-symptomatic female cadets are in 1st Platoon Barracks.
According to the release, the academy has two nurses on staff, one of whom has a background in epidemiology. Campus sanitizing, hand-washing, hygiene, social distancing and mask-wearing are “reinforced constantly.”
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.
