FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2020
Contact: Reba Lean, Public Relations Manager
Phone: 907-443-9674
Nome, Alaska – Norton Sound Health Corporation received positive results of a confirmed case of COVID-19 on Sunday, August 16. The patient has been notified and agreed to allow NSHC to share their location of Savoonga, where they will be isolating.
NSHC notified the State of Alaska Section of Epidemiology and Public Health Nursing, which will investigate the spread of the virus. NSHC has already begun the process of reaching out to the patient’s close contacts and giving instruction on needed quarantines.
NSHC contacted community leaders to allow them to form a community response plan. Testing has been recommended for close contacts and will be made available for other local residents as needed.
This patient marks the region’s 32nd confirmed COVID-19 case since the start of the pandemic. NSHC’s patient count includes non-residents of the region who have tested positive while in the region and regional residents who tested positive while outside of the region.
NSHC recommends following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines regarding safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic. People should be distancing themselves from others outside their household, including avoiding public spaces, at this time. When it is impossible to avoid others, all parties should be wearing face masks to prevent potential spread of the virus.
Regularly wearing face masks can help stop spread, even when the wearer is unaware they are carrying the virus. It is important to practice frequent hand washing or hand sanitizing, especially before and after meals and handling high-touch items.
