The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reported 189 new cases of the COVID-19 virus on Wednesday, 16 of which were in nonresidents.

Of the newly reported cases, there are three among residents of Homer. Cases are reported out every week day by the state, and reflect the number of cases reported to the state the day before.

The southern Kenai Peninsula as a whole has had 12 new cases of COVID-19 identified over the past two weeks.

The state reported a cumulative total of 59,030 COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Of those, 2,425 have been among nonresidents, according to the state’s coronavirus response hub.

The state also reported 10 additional deaths of Alaska residents that were tied to COVID-19 over the weekend. One of those deaths was recent, and the rest were discovered through the routine death certificate review process. The state then reported two additional COVID-19-related deaths on Tuesday, for a total of 299 Alaska residents whose deaths gave been related to the virus. The state has recorded a total of four nonresidents whose deaths inside Alaska were tied to the virus.

As of Wednesday, there were 23 people being hospitalized for COVID-19, as well as three people being hospitalized for suspected cases of the virus. Of all the people currently hospitalized across Alaska, 2.8% of them have COVID-19, according to the state.

So far, there have been a total of 1,245 Alaska residents hospitalized for the virus over the course of the pandemic, as well as 40 nonresidents.

Of the new cases reported Wednesday, there were 47 in Anchorage, 35 in Wasilla, 18 in Fairbanks, 15 in Palmer, 13 in Petersburg, nine in the Bethel Census Area, five in Juneau, three each in Chugiak, Eagle River and Homer, two each in Cordova, the northern Kenai Peninsula, North Pole, Delta Junction, Ketchikan and Bethel, and one each in Girdwood, Kenai, Soldotna, Big Lake, Sutton-Alpine, Willow, Metlakatla, Sitka, Dillingham, and the Kusilvak Census Area.

Of the new nonresident cases reported Wednesday, there was one in Anchorage, one in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, and 14 in Unalaska.

The peninsula remains in the intermediate alert level according to the state’s model for measuring the prevalence of COVID-19 in different regions of Alaska.

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.