Twenty more Alaskans have tested positive for COVID-19, including five residents of the Kenai Peninsula. The other 15 cases are residents of Anchorage, according to a Tuesday press release from the Department of Health and Social Services.
The total number of Alaskans who have tested positive for the virus is now 487. Of those cases, 106 are currently active. Ten Alaskans have died after contracting the disease, and 371 Alaskans have recovered.
One of the new Anchorage cases is a minor who was recently admitted to the McLaughlin Youth Correctional Center. The Division of Juvenile Justice, which falls under DHSS, immediately began “medical isolation measures” for the patient upon learning of the positive result, the department of health said in the release.
The nursing director for the Division of Juvenile Justice is currently working with the Alaska Section of Epidemiology and the Anchorage Health Department to determine which staff or residents may have been exposed to the disease, DHSS said.
The Division of Juvenile Justice has been testing all newly admitted youth into their facilities since April 28, and is requiring a 14-day quarantine upon admission.
Of the new Alaska cases, eight are male and 12 are female. Three are under the age of 10. One is between 10-19. Six are between 20-29. Five are between 30-39. One is between 40-49. Three are between 50-59 and one is 80 or older. No new hospitalizations or deaths were reported yesterday. Ten people who are either COVID-positive or under investigation are currently hospitalized. A total of 56,203 tests for COVID-19 have been conducted in the state, for an average positivity rate of about .87%.
Of the five new cases of Kenai Peninsula residents, three are from the city of Kenai, one is from Homer and one is from Nikiski. There are 29 currently active cases on the peninsula: one in Anchor Point, seven in Homer, eight in Kenai, three in Nikiski, two in Soldotna and eight in unspecified communities within the borough. Cases within communities of fewer than 1,000 people are included in the count for their borough or census area but are not individually listed.
One new nonresident has tested positive, a seafood worker in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area. The total number of nonresident cases is now at 22, of which, 14 have been workers in the seafood industry.
The information for this report reflects data that was posted to the Alaska Coronavirus Response Hub between 12 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. the previous day.
For the latest information regarding the state’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, visit covid19.alaska.gov or email covidquestions@alaska.gov.
