The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced that 112 new individuals tested positive for COVID-19 in Alaska on Thursday. 108 are residents. Affected communities include Anchorage with 68 cases, Fairbanks with nine cases, Wasilla with six cases, Palmer with five cases, Utqiaġvik with five cases, Eagle River with three cases, North Pole with three cases, Bristol Bay/Lake & Peninsula boroughs with two cases, Sitka with two cases and one case each in Bethel, Bethel Census Area, Homer, Soldotna and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area.
The four nonresident cases are all under investigation for location and purpose of visit. Additionally, one resident case and three nonresident cases were added to the overall case count following list reconciliation.
The new cases bring Alaska’s statewide total to 7,587, including 6,658 resident cases and 929 non-resident cases.
The state also reported two new hospitalizations and one new death. Statewide, 257 people have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 and 45 people have died. The individual who died was a female Anchorage resident in her 40s, according to DHSS. Currently, there are 36 individuals hospitalized because of COVID-19, including five people considered persons under investigation for the disease.
The statewide alert level, based on the average daily case rate for the last two weeks, is high.
The average daily positivity rate in Alaska for the past seven days, during which 12,982 tests were conducted, is 2.21%. To date, 418,293 tests have been conducted in Alaska. Over the past week, the Kenai Peninsula Borough conducted 585 tests and saw a .51% positivity rate, according to DHSS’ Coronavirus Response Hub.
Locally, Central Peninsula Hospital has conducted 5,274 tests with 119 positive, 5,101 negative tests and 57 pending results as of Monday. South Peninsula Hospital has conducted 8,654 tests with 114 positive, 8,437 negative and 103 pending results.
2,213 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Alaska.
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 continues to be available from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at South Peninsula Hospital’s main entrance 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.
View the interactive map below to learn more about each testing location on the peninsula.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
