The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced 117 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, of which 115 are residents. Affected communities include Anchorage with 77 cases, Fairbanks with 12 cases, Bethel with three cases, North Pole with three cases, Chugiak with three cases, Eagle River with three cases, Wasilla with two cases, Nome Census Area with two cases, Juneau with two cases, Sitka with two cases and one case each in Girdwood, Denali Borough, Meadow Lakes, Utqiagvik, Kotzebue and Hooper Bay.
The two nonresident cases were confirmed in Anchorage. The new cases bring Alaska’s statewide total to 8,549, including 7,597 residents and 952 nonresident cases.
The statewide alert level, based on the average daily case rate for the last two weeks, is high.
The state announced no new deaths on Monday; four new deaths were announced Sunday. There are currently 49 COVID-19 related hospitalizations, including 17 persons under investigation for the disease. To date, there have been 286 hospitalizations and 56 deaths.
The average daily positivity rate in Alaska for the past seven days, during which 9,274 tests were conducted, is 2.93%. To date, 444,791 tests have been conducted in Alaska. Over the past week, the Kenai Peninsula Borough conducted 426 tests and saw a .7% positivity rate, according to DHSS’ Coronavirus Response Hub.
Locally, South Peninsula Has conducted 9,301 tests with 8,987 positive, 114 positive and 200 pending results. Additionally, Central Peninsula Hospital has conducted 5,740 tests with 5,547 negative, 122 positive and 67 pending results.
Statewide 3,393 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 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.
