The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reported 179 new COVID-19 infections across the state on Wednesday, four of which were among nonresidents.
The City of Homer recently went eight full days with no new cases of the virus being announced. The entire southern Kenai Peninsula has had only six cases identified over the last two weeks, putting the borough in the intermediate alert level based on the average rate of cases per 100,000 of population.
According to the state’s coronavirus data hub, Alaska has now had a cumulative total of 57,988 statewide, 2,252 of which were among nonresidents.
There have been a total of 1,260 COVID-19 hospitalizations, 38 of which were for nonresidents. According to the state’s hospital data dashboard, there are currently 37 people being hospitalized for COVID-19, as well as nine people being hospitalized for suspected cases of the virus.
There are 32 adult ICU beds available statewide, out of 129. Of all the people currently hospitalized in Alaska, 4.5% of them are being hospitalized for COVID-19.
Over the course of the pandemic, the state has reported 287 deaths of Alaska residents that were tied to COVID-19, as well as the deaths of three nonresidents who died while in Alaska.
Of the new cases reported Wednesday, three are on the Kenai Peninsula and one is a Homer resident. There were 44 new cases in Anchorage, 37 in Wasilla, 18 in Fairbanks, 16 in Palmer, 10 each in Ketchikan and Petersburg, seven each in Eagle River and North Pole, six in the Bethel Census Area, three each in Chugiak and Juneau, two each in Girdwood, Cordova and the Kusilvak Census Area, and one each in the Copper River Census Area, Homer, Nikiski, Seward, the Mat-Su Borough, the Nome Census Area, Kotzebue and Skagway.
Of the new nonresident cases reported Wednesday, there was one in Fairbanks, one in Delta Junction, one in Unalaska and one unknown.
Testing on the Kenai Peninsula:
Free COVID-19 tests are offered 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week at the lower level of the South Peninsula Hospital Specialty Clinic, at 4201 Bartlett Street, Homer. Please use the Danview Avenue access. Tests are for those who have had recent travel out of state, have been exposed to someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19, have new onset of any symptom related to COVID-19, or have a provider referral. See the complete list of eligible individuals at www.sphosp.org or call the COVID information line at 235-0235. Please call and pre-register before coming if and when possible.
Testing is also available through the SVT Health & Wellness clinics in Homer, Seldovia and Anchor Point. Call ahead 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.
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 Seward, testing is available at Providence Seward, Seward Community Health Center, Glacier Family Medicine and North Star Health Clinic.
Reach Megan Pacer at mpacer@homernews.com.
