The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced 353 new COVID-19 cases in Alaska on Wednesday, including 15 on the Kenai Peninsula. Affected peninsula communities include Kenai with six cases, Soldotna with four cases, Nikiski with two cases, Homer with one case, Other North with one case and Sterling with one case.

The new cases bring Alaska’s statewide case total to 48,899, including 47,334 residents and 1,565 nonresidents.

Over the past week, the Kenai Peninsula Borough has conducted 843 tests and saw a positivity rate of 4.98%. To date, the borough has conducted 55,137 tests. The current statewide alert level, based on the average daily case rate for the past two weeks, is high at 36.09. The Kenai Peninsula Borough’s alert level is also high at 20.56.

The state also reported 18 new hospitalizations and two new deaths. To date, 1,074 people in Alaska have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 and 220 people have died. Currently, there are 101 people hospitalized in Alaska who are COVID-19 positive or who are considered persons under investigation for the disease. Six of the patients are on ventilators.

The two new deaths include an Anchorage man in his 70s and an Anchorage man in his 60s.

Alaska’s daily positivity rate for the past seven days, during which 24,868 tests were conducted, is 4.99%. To date, 1,311,015 tests have been conducted in Alaska.

In addition to the 15 new cases on the peninsula, the state also reported 112 new cases in Anchorage, 55 in Fairbanks, 43 in Wasilla, 11 in Eagle River, 10 in Utqiagvik, nine in Chugiak, nine in Palmer, eight in Kodiak, seven in Bethel, seven in Juneau, seven in Kotzebue, seven in North Pole, six in Unalaska, five in Ketchikan, five in Kusilvak Census Area, three in Big Lake, three in Fairbanks North Star Borough, three in Petersburg, two in Delta Junction, two in Girdwood, two in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, two in Willow, two in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area and one each in Bethel Census Area, Cordova, Dillingham Census Area, Houston, Other Chugach, Other Copper River and Sitka.

Eleven nonresident cases were also reported. Six have locations still under investigation. Four were reported in Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon and one was reported in Anchorage.

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.