DHSS Press Release: 29 new cases of COVID-19 reported in 14 Alaska communities; five new nonresident cases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

29 new cases of COVID-19 reported in 14 Alaska communities; five new nonresident cases

June 13, 2020 ANCHORAGE — The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) today announced 29 new cases of COVID-19 in residents of 14 communities/areas: Anchorage (7), Eagle River (1), Fairbanks (1), North Pole (2), Homer (4), Sitka (2), Houston (1), Palmer (1), Ketchikan (3), Craig (2), Bethel Census Area (1), Nome Census Area (1), Wrangell (1) and the Southern Kenai Peninsula (2). This brings the total number of Alaska cases to 654.

Five new nonresident cases were also identified yesterday in:

• Fairbanks (1): visitor
• Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area (1): other
• Kodiak Island Borough (1): seafood industry
• Juneau City and Borough (2): other, tourism

This brings the total number of nonresident cases to 70.  

The case in the Bethel Census Area was announced yesterday by the Yukon-Kuskoskim Health Corporation (YKHC) in an individual from a regional village who tested positive at Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage in accordance with Health Mandate 15. YKHC is working with DHSS to conduct contact tracing, follow-up testing, and to ensure precautions are taken to protect anyone who has been in close contact with the individual. Today, YKHC sent a village rapid response team to the affected community to provide widespread testing and medical support.

The Nome Census Area case is also a village resident and the fifth positive case in that region. Norton Sound Health Corporation announced that case yesterday and is working with DHSS to identify close contacts. NSHC is also sending out a village rapid response team to conduct testing for close contacts and for anyone else who wishes to be tested in that community.

Five of the individuals in today’s case count were announced by the Ketchikan Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and detected through traveler testing at the Ketchikan airport. All five of those cases are currently listed as residents on the Alaska Coronavirus Response Hub but some may in fact be reclassified as nonresidents pending data verification and further investigation. Any corrections to DHSS data will be noted in tomorrow’s DHSS press release.  

Of the new Alaska cases, 14 are male and 15 are female. One is under 10; one is aged 10-19; two are aged 20-29; six are aged 30-39; nine are aged 40-49; two are aged 50-59; five are aged 60-69; two are aged 70-79 and one is aged 80+. There have been a total of 52 hospitalizations with one new hospitalization reported yesterday. Recovered cases now total 405, with two new recovered cases recorded yesterday. A total of 71,803 tests have been conducted.

This report reflects data from 12:00 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. on June 12 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

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• 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.

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