FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2020
Contact: Alexis Erikson, Public Relations Specialist
Phone: (907) 443-8918
Six Additional Cases Confirmed in Regional Village
Nome, Alaska – Late in the evening of November 2nd, Norton Sound Health Corporation received six positive COVID-19 results. Five patients are related to the current outbreak in Stebbins and the sixth patient received a positive COVID-19 result while traveling.
Over 80 percent of the community has been tested and NSHC’s medical response team has been positioned in Stebbins for over four weeks since the outbreak began. The community remains in a lock down, which means households should not visit other households.
The State of Alaska Section of Epidemiology and Public Health Nursing have been notified and all patients are safely isolating. The addition of these six patients brings the total number of positive COVID-19 cases to 169 since the start of the pandemic, with 28 active cases in the region.
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.
If residents have questions regarding symptoms, which can include coughing, shortness of breath, fevering, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, diarrhea, or other cold-like symptoms, they should contact their local clinic or the Nurse Call Line at (907) 443-6411 or 844-586-8773 if outside of regular clinic hours. Other general questions about COVID-19 can be directed to the State of Alaska’s 211 resource number.
All residents in the region are strongly encouraged to get their flu vaccine this year to protect them against getting influenza during the COVID-19 pandemic. Getting the flu during the pandemic could lower your immune system defenses, and make you more vulnerable to other illnesses, including COVID-19.
