The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reported 177 new COVID-19 infections and one new death on Wednesday.

The person who died was a North Pole resident.

New cases of COVID-19 are reported week days by DHSS around noon, and reflect the number of cases that got reported to the state the day before. On Wednesday, state data showed 172 new resident cases of the virus and five new nonresident cases.

A total of 303 Alaska resident deaths have been related to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to state data. Alaska still has one of the lowest death rates in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of four nonresidents have died with COVID-19 while inside the state.

There have been a total of 60,931 COVID-19 cases in Alaska since the pandemic began, 2,503 of them being among nonresidents. Locally, the southern Kenai Peninsula has had 14 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 14 days. The peninsula as a whole has had 61 new cases over the last 14 days.

The peninsula remains in the intermediate alert level according to its rate of new cases per capita. Other regions, including the Municipality of Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley, remain in the high alert level.

According to the state’s hospitalization dashboard, there are currently 32 people being hospitalized for COVID-19 around the state, as well as 11 people being hospitalized with suspected cases of COVID-19. Of all the people hospitalized currently in the state, 3.9% of them are being hospitalized with COVID-19.

There are currently no people on ventilators in Alaska, state hospital data shows.

Since the pandemic began, there have been a total of 1,310 cumulative COVID-19 hospitalizations of Alaska residents, as well at a total of 40 nonresidents hospitalized for COVID-19. Those numbers include people who have since died or since recovered.

Alaska has opened up the availability for vaccines to all residents age 16 and older. Visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 to sign up for an appointment.

Of the new cases reported Wednesday, there were 56 new cases in Anchorage, 46 in Wasilla, 13 in Fairbanks, 10 in Delta Junction, nine each in Eagle River and Palmer, three each in Houston and Willow, two each in Girdwood, the Copper River Census Area, Soldotna, Big Lake and Juneau, and one each in Chugiak, Cordova, Kenai, Seward, North Pole, the Mat-Su Borough, the Nome Census Area, the North Slope Borough, Petersburg, Bethel, the Bethel Census Area, Dillingham, and one unknown.

Of the new nonresident cases reported Wednesday, there was one in Anchorage, one in Prudhoe Bay, two in the North Slope Borough, and one in an unknown area.

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. 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.