FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2020
Contact: Reba Lean, Public Relations Manager
Phone: 907-443-9674
Nome, Alaska – Norton Sound Health Corporation was notified Wednesday, July 8, that a resident of the region tested positive for COVID-19 while elsewhere in the state.
The State of Alaska Section of Epidemiology and Public Health Nursing are aware of the case. An investigation of the patient’s infection and close contacts is underway.
As the state sees an increase in the number of cases of the virus, it is important to take precautions against contamination, especially in places with known community spread of the virus. Remember to wash your hands frequently, wear a mask in public, and keep your distance from others. Avoiding travel outside the region, if possible, is an effective safety measure. If you do travel, quarantining yourself afterwards is the safest method of preventing possible spread of the virus. If you are unable to quarantine for a full 14 days, the second safest method of preventing spread is getting tested for the virus, quarantining for seven days, and getting tested again.
This patient will be counted as the region’s 12th positive case. NSHC experienced its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on April 14. Since then, 11 more cases have shown positive results. Three of those cases have been regional residents who tested positive outside of the region, and two of the cases have been patients who have out-of-state primary residences but tested positive in the region.
