FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2021
Contact: Alexis Erikson, Public Relations Specialist
Phone: (907) 443-8918
Three COVID-19 Cases Identified in Region
Nome, Alaska – Norton Sound Health Corporation identified three positive cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, April 7. The first case involves a regional resident from Savoonga who tested positive in Nome, and it is still undetermined how the infection was acquired. The second and third cases were found in Nome residents, and they are close contacts with one another. The source of the virus in the second and third cases is still under investigation. All patients are safely isolating in Nome, and any close contacts will be notified.
The addition of these cases brings the total number of active COVID-19 cases in the region to nine.
The City of Nome has updated its travel guidelines for people flying into the region through Nome. Fully vaccinated individuals who can show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination are no longer required to test for COVID-19 upon arrival. If incoming passengers do not have proof of vaccination on-hand (a vaccination reminder card, a photo of the card, or a printed or emailed vaccination record will suffice), then they must still be tested.
All other guidelines still remain in effect. Non-vaccinated individuals will need to quarantine for 14 days or agree to get tested upon arrival to Nome and again on the seventh day after arrival and quarantine for those seven days.
For the time being, NSHC still requires its employees to test upon arrival and again on day seven, even if they are fully vaccinated. This precautionary measure will eventually be dropped when Nome reaches a higher vaccination rate.
The Daily Tribal Leader Call, which NSHC has been hosted for over a year now to provide information on the COVID-19 pandemic, will take place on Monday and Wednesday’s at 11a.m. from now on. If you have questions or concerns about the vaccine, you can call into NSHC’s Tribal Leader Call at 1-800-315-6338; access code 03286# or email NSHC’s medical staff for answers at .
