Homer’s number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow and the Kenai Peninsula has become the community with the second largest number of total cases after the Municipality of Anchorage, according to state data released Wednesday.
Data on the state’s coronavirus response hub website shows 20 new COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday, making a total statewide case count of 593. Cases announced by noon each day reflect the cases that got reported to the state the previous day.
As of Wednesday, there were no new hospitalizations for people with a confirmed case of the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, and no new deaths associated with COVID-19.
Included in Wednesday’s statewide case count are the six additional crew members of the M/V Tustumena whose positive test results were announced Tuesday. The first member of the crew tested positive on Saturday when the ship was in Dutch Harbor, and the other six tested positive after the ferry returned to Homer on Monday night.
The Kenai Peninsula now has a cumulative total of 94 cases — two deaths, 30 recovered cases and 62 active cases. This is the second highest overall number of cases for a region in Alaska after the Municipality of Anchorage. The Fairbanks North Star Borough previously had the second highest number of total cumulative cases at 85. However, excluding the two people in that borough who have died, all of the remaining Fairbanks North Star Borough cases have recovered. That borough has no active cases.
There are now 24 Homer cases, 22 cases in the “other” category on the southern peninsula, 13 Kenai cases, 12 Soldotna cases, eight Anchor Point cases, five Nikiski cases, four Seward cases, three Sterling cases, one case in the “other” category for the northern peninsula, one Fritz Creek case and one Fox River case.
Out of the total statewide case count of 593, the state reports that 392 people have recovered so far. As of Wednesday, there were 22 people being actively hospitalized, either with confirmed cases of COVID-19 or with suspected cases.
The 20 new cases announced Wednesday are from the Municipality of Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula Borough, the Matanuska-Sustina Borough and Sitka City and Borough.
In terms of testing, South Peninsula Hospital has conducted a total of 2,466 tests so far, according to Public Information Officer Derotha Ferraro. Of those, 2,242 tests have come back negative and 176 are pending. The hospital has had a total of 48 total positive test results so far, both from the hospital testing and from pop up testing sites.
SVT Health & Wellness has conducted a total of 282 tests so far, according to the clinic’s website. Of those, eight tests come come back positive so far, 265 have been negative and nine are still pending.
Reach Megan Pacer at mpacer@homernews.com.
