The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced 200 new COVID-19 cases in Alaska on Monday. All are residents. Affected communities include Anchorage with 85 cases, Fairbanks with 52 cases, Wasilla with nine cases, Dillingham Census Area with eight cases, Palmer with six cases, Soldotna with six cases, Bethel Census Area with five cases, Eagle River with five cases, North Pole with five cases, Chugiak with four cases, Juneau with three cases, Homer with two cases and one case each in Kenai, Kenai Peninsula Borough South, Seward, Cordova, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Houston, Utqiagvik, Yakutat/Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Bristol Bay/Lake and Peninsula boroughs. One resident case has a location still under investigation.
The new cases bring Alaska’s statewide total to 12,220 including 11,182 residents and 1,038 nonresidents.
The statewide alert level, based on the average daily case rate for the last two weeks, is high at 24.31 per 100,000 people. The Kenai Peninsula Borough is also considered “high risk” with 13.09 cases per 100,000 population.
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.
No new deaths or hospitalizations were reported by the state Monday. To date, 361 people have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Alaska and 67 people have died. Currently, there are 65 people hospitalized because of COVID-19 in Alaska, including 24 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 13,873 tests were conducted, is 4.67%. To date, 633,723 tests have been conducted in Alaska. Over the past week, the Kenai Peninsula Borough conducted 455 tests and saw a 7.03% positivity rate, according to DHSS’ Coronavirus Response Hub.
Locally, Central Peninsula Hospital has conducted 6,727 tests with 6,493 negative, 154 positive and 72 pending results. South Peninsula Hospital has conducted 10,634 tests with 10,312 negative, 137 positive and 185 pending results.
Statewide 5,880 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.
