FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2020
Contact: Reba Lean, Public Relations Manager
Phone: 907-443-9674
Norton Sound Health Corporation has identified a fifth positive case of COVID-19 in the region. The patient has been contacted and is safely isolating. The State of Alaska Section of Epidemiology and Public Health Nursing are in contact with the individual and have begun the process of tracing close contacts.
The patient is a resident of one of the region’s villages. NSHC has informed community leaders and will be sending out a response team to conduct testing for close contacts and other community members who wish to be tested. Community leaders have activated their village’s response plan and will inform residents about testing availability.
This case demonstrates the importance of following safety recommendations, including social distancing, safe hygiene, and quarantine/isolation guidelines, no matter where you live.
If you have concerns about your contact with the patient, please contact your local clinic for testing. The State of Alaska will be reaching out to all known close contacts with instructions for keeping communities safe. State officials will also notify the patient and close contacts when they have safely recovered and no longer need to isolate or quarantine.
NSHC has recommendations for its regional patients experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. If you are experiencing symptoms (cough, fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, new-onset diarrhea, loss of smell or taste, and other cold symptoms), please contact Primary Care in Nome at 443-3333 or your local clinic before going in to be seen.
Anyone who would like to be tested can be. In Nome, people may stop by the walk-in testing tent from 8-11 a.m. and 12:30-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. In the regional villages, people should call their local clinics to arrange testing.
Stay up to date with the latest by visiting www.nortonsoundhealth.org/category/covid-19
