COVID-19 cases rise to 236 in the region
The Nome, Norton Sound and Bering Strait region has seen its second COVID-19 related death last week. The individual, a regional resident in his 60s, passed away on Wednesday, October 27, following complications related to the virus, according to the Norton Sound Health Corporation. On Oct. 29, the Alaska Dept. of Health and Social Services in their press release listed the death as a male Nome resident in his 60s.
COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the region following Halloween weekend. In the last week, NSHC has identified almost 200 new cases, including more than 100 over the weekend alone.
As of Tuesday, Nov. 2, there are 236 active cases in the region.
On Tuesday, October 26, NSHC identified 28 new COVID-19 cases, including 14 in Nome, seven in Savoonga, three in Brevig, two in Elim and two in Unalakleet.
The following day, NSHC reported 23 new cases, as well as the death of a regional resident. Of the 23 new cases, 12 of them were found in Nome, 10 were in Savoonga, and one was in Gambell. The Gambell case was travel related, and two of the Nome cases were community spread, though the remaining 20 cases were identified as close contacts of previous positives.
On Thursday, 33 additional individuals tested positive for COVID19, including 23 in Savoonga, three in Nome, three in Elim, three in Unalakleet, and one in Gambell. All identified cases in Savoonga, Elim and Unalakleet, as well as one case in Nome, were close contacts of former positives, while two cases in Nome were community spread, and the case in Gambell was travel related.
Over the weekend, NSHC conducted extensive testing in Savoonga, where they discovered 70 additional COVID-19 positive individuals. In addition to the 70 in Savoonga, NSHC identified 38 other cases in the region, including 26 in Nome, six in Gambell, four in Brevig Mission and two in Elim. Of the 26 in Nome, 18 were considered close contacts, seven were considered community spread, and one was travel related. Half of the new cases in Gambell were community spread, and half were close contacts. All four
cases in Brevig were close contacts, and both cases in Elim were community spread.
On Nov. 1, 14 COVID-19 cases were found in the region. Of the new cases, seven are in Nome, four are in Savoonga, two are in Unalakleet, and one is in Brevig. Two of the cases are NSHC employees, and they had no interactions with patients. They have all been notified and are safely isolating.
According to a NSHC press release, if individuals were at Breakers Bar on Saturday, Oct. 30, they may have been exposed to COVID-19. NSHC recommends that all attendees get tested for COVID-19 as soon as they can and tested again on the coming two Saturdays. Attendees should monitor their symptoms and wear a face mask while in public for the next 14 days. In the event of new symptoms, schedule a COVID-19 test.
Currently, there are 236 active COVID-19 cases in the region: 113 in Savoonga ; 87 in Nome; 12 in Brevig; eight in Elim; eight in Gambell; seven in Unalakleet; and one in Wales.
“You don’t find cases unless you do a ton of testing,” explained NSHC medical director Dr. Mark Peterson. “We do a ton of testing, and that’s one of the reasons we’re finding a lot of cases.”
Over the three-day weekend, the Nome Census Area had the fourthhighest rates of COVID-19 case diagnoses in the state, in part because of how many Savoonga residents tested positive. According to 2020 Census data, 835 people live in Savoonga.
“I think in Savoonga, the virus was there much longer than anyone thought,” Peterson said. “More people were getting it [there] than we realized.
Though case counts in the region are high, particularly in Savoonga and Nome, Peterson says there is a light at the end of the tunnel. “It seems like all of this is going to go on forever and we’re just going to have more cases and more cases,” he said. “Eventually, these case counts do come down.”
He pointed to Brevig Mission, a village with a population of almost 400 people, as a good example. Throughout October, Brevig saw a significant amount of active COVID19 cases, peaking at 53 active cases on October 14. On Monday, November 1, the active case total had fallen to just 11.
One way to slow the spread of COVID-19 cases, Peterson says, is to encourage unvaccinated residents of the region to get vaccinated. Vaccinations are available at the NSHC pharmacy in Nome as well as in village clinics. He also is hopeful about the ability to vaccinate children ages 5 to 11, previously unavailable to that age group.
“We expect to get the most final approval on the [childhood] vaccine sometime this week from the CDC, and the final FDA approval, so we expect to be able to start giving it to kids next week,” Peterson said during the weekly COVID-19 conference call. “This certainly allows us to vaccinate almost 100 percent of each community.”
Though almost 100 percent of each community’s population will be eligible for vaccination this week, few communities are approaching 100 percent vaccinated. While Nome is quickly approaching 80 percent of the population vaccinated, only about 64 percent of Savoonga’s population were fully vaccinated at the end of August, according to NSHC Public Relations Manager Reba Lean. Lean says the number has likely not changed by more than a percent or two since the end of August.
The City of Nome is exploring other safety precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19, including building closures and capacity limits.
While Nome City Hall remains open to the public, the Richard Foster building, which houses Nome’s public library and the museum, is closed to the public until November 8.
“Due to the increase of COVID19 cases in Nome, the Kegoayah Kozga Public Library will be temporarily closed to scheduled foot traffic effective Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 4:00 p.m.,” library director Marguerite LaRiviere shared in an email. “The library will continue to provide library materials and craft kits via curbside delivery.”
The City has also instituted an emergency ordinance, limiting bars to just 25 percent capacity, until November 14.
“The city has been operating since last Sunday morning a reduction in the attendance capacity by 25 percent,” said City Manager Glenn Steckman during Monday’s Public Safety Advisory Commission meeting. “We are not aggressively enforcing this, though we are following up when we do get complaints of people that may be in the bars though they have been either tested or potentially exposed [to COVID-19].” At this point, the City will not reintroduce a testing mandate at the airport, but will encourage all incoming passengers to get tested.
Across Alaska, there have been a total of 139,429 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, including 3,127 in the last week. In the state, there have been 3,082 hospitalizations,190 COVID patients are currently hospitalized and 28 are on ventilators. Around the state, 22 ICU beds remain available. In Alaska, 728 individuals have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March 2020.
In Nome, Norton Sound and the Bering Strait region, there have been 1,570 cases of COVID-19, 19 hospitalizations and two deaths.