New positive cases of COVID-19 continue to climb in Alaska and locally, as the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reported 204 new resident cases on Wednesday, 15 of which are among Kenai Peninsula residents.
There were no new nonresident cases reported Wednesday. New cases of COVID-19 are reported daily on the state’s coronavirus response hub website, and reflect the cases that got reported to the state the day before.
Of the peninsula cases reported Wednesday, two of them are among Homer residents — the rest are on the central peninsula. The southern Kenai Peninsula — everything from Ninilchik south — has had 27 new COVID-19 cases over the last 14 days.
The state has now had a cumulative total of 11,605 COVID-19 cases in residents, 6,110 of which are considered recovered and 5,427 of which are still active. There have been a total of 1,039 cases in nonresidents, 641 of which are considered recovered and 398 of which are still active.
Since the start of the pandemic, 375 Alaska residents have been hospitalized with COVID-19, along with seven nonresidents. The state has recorded 68 deaths of Alaska residents that were tied to the illness.
Of the new cases reported Wednesday, there were 133 in Anchorage, 15 in Wasilla, eight in Eagle River, six in Soldotna, four each in Kenai and Utqiagvik, three each in Juneau, the Nome Census Area and the combined Bristol Bay and Lake and Peninsula Borough, two each in Chugiak, Homer, Sterling, the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Fairbanks and Delta Junction, and one each in Seward, Kodiak, Healy, North Pole, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Palmer, Kotzebue, Ketchikan, Sitka, Skagway, Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon, the Bethel Census Area and Dillingham.
There are currently 41 people across the state being hospitalized for COVID-19, according to the state data hub. There are eight COVID-19 patient currently on ventilators.
In total, Alaska has conducted 547,140 COVID-19 tests, for a seven-day average positivity rate of 4.61% on Tuesday, according to state data. The current 14-day average turnaround time for test results from the state laboratory is 2.8 days.
Locally, South Peninsula Hospital has conducted a total of 10,781 COVID-19 tests, with 10,414 of those coming back negative and 228 pending, according to hospital Public Information Officer Derotha Ferraro. The hospital has recorded a total of 139 positive test results since the pandemic began.
Testing locations 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.
