The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced 215 new COVID-19 cases in Alaska on Wednesday, of which 213 are residents. Affected communities include Anchorage with 111 cases, Wasilla with 21 cases, Fairbanks with 18 cases, Bethel with nine cases, Juneau with six cases, Utqiagvik with six cases, Soldotna with six cases, Eagle River with four cases, Kenai with three cases, Bethel Census Area with two cases, Healy with two cases, Homer with two cases, Northwest Arctic Borough with two cases, Palmer with two cases, Skagway with two cases, Valdez-Cordova census area with two cases, Yukon-Koyukuk census area with two cases and one each in Chugiak, Anchor Point, Kenai Peninsula Borough North, Kenai Peninsula Borough South, Seward, Sterling, Kodiak, North Pole, Mat-Su Borough, Nome Census Area, Kotzebue and Chevak. One resident case was reported with an unknown location.

One nonresident case was reported in Anchorage and one was reported with an unknown location. The new cases bring Alaska’s statewide total to 12,432, including 11,393 residents and 1,039 nonresidents.

The statewide alert level, based on the average daily case rate for the last two weeks, is high at 24.93. The Kenai Peninsula Borough’s risk level is also high at 14.56.

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 no new deaths and five new hospitalizations. To date, 366 people have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Alaska and 67 people have died. Currently, there are 38 people in the state hospitalized with COVID-19. Ten of the patients are on ventilators.

The average daily positivity rate in Alaska for the past seven days, during which 16,629 tests have been conducted, is 4.25%. To date, 546,525 tests have been conducted in Alaska. Over the past week, the Kenai Peninsula Borough has conducted 433 tests and saw a 4.85%, according to DHSS’ Coronavirus Response Hub.

Statewide 6,042 people have recovered from COVID-19.

Locally, Central Peninsula Hospital has conducted 6,784 tests with 6,546 negative, 159 positive and 75 pending results.

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.

— Peninsula Clarion