CORRECTION: DHSS Press Release: Seventeen new cases of COVID-19 reported in 10 Alaska communities; seven new nonresident cases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CORRECTION: An earlier email had an incorrect subject line listing the wrong number of cases and communities. It should have read: Seventeen new cases of COVID-19 reported in 10 Alaska communities; seven new nonresident cases.

Seventeen new cases of COVID-19 reported in 10 Alaska communities; seven new nonresident cases

June 11, 2020 ANCHORAGE — The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) today announced 17 new cases of COVID-19 in residents of 10 communities: Anchorage (4), Homer (2), Juneau (2), North Pole (2), Sitka (2), Fairbanks, (1), Kodiak (1), Palmer (1), Soldotna (1), and Northwest Arctic Borough (1). This brings the total number of Alaska cases to 610.

Seven new nonresident cases were also identified yesterday. Five cases are seafood workers in the Municipality of Anchorage (4) and Aleutians West Census area (1). Two cases classified as “other industry” are in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough (1) and Ketchikan Gateway Borough (1). The City of Craig announced the Ketchikan Gateway Borough case yesterday noting the worker was tested at the Ketchikan Airport upon arriving in Alaska. This brings the total number of nonresident cases to 58.

The Fairbanks case is an employee at the Fairbanks Pioneer Home. The risk to residents at the home is considered very low based on their exposure to the employee. However, detailed contact tracing is being conducted and testing is being prioritized for anyone who had contact with the employee. The employee is not at work and is in isolation. One other employee who had limited exposure to the positive employee is quarantining. Testing of all residents and employees, which was already being planned to begin next week, will now be implemented immediately.

All Alaska Pioneer Homes have been continually educating staff about infection control procedures; conducting health screenings of all personnel entering the building; immediately sending home any employee who has symptoms and requiring testing before return; screening residents daily for symptoms; and testing any residents who have any symptoms. The homes have been closed to visitors since March 17, 2020.

Of the new Alaska cases, six are male and eleven are female. One is under the age of 10; five are aged 20-29; four are aged 30-39; two are aged 40-49; four are aged 50-59 and one is aged 60-69. There have been a total of 49 hospitalizations and 11 deaths with no new hospitalizations or deaths reported yesterday. Recovered cases now total 397, with five new recovered cases recorded yesterday. A total of 69,011 tests have been conducted.

This report reflects data from 12:00 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. on June 10 that posted at noon today on the Alaska Coronavirus Response Hub. Please note that upon further investigation and interviews, data points for cases – such as the date and residence – may on occasion change on the data dashboard after they are announced.

Stay informed

• Alaska’s response
• United States response
• Global response

Questions about COVID-19?

• For general questions and assistance, please call 2-1-1.
• For the general public, questions regarding DHSS COVID response, including mandates and alerts, can be sent to covidquestions@alaska.gov.
• Data questions can be sent to data.coronavirus@alaska.gov
• For DHSS media inquiries, please contact clinton.bennett@alaska.gov.

###