04/30/20 City of Homer and South Peninsula Hospital - Joint News Release

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South Peninsula Hospital was notified today by the Alaska State Public Health Laboratory of two new positive cases of COVID-19 in individuals who were tested at the hospital earlier this week. One is currently hospitalized and the other remains at home. There is no information indicating these cases are related.

Public Health Nurses are conducting investigations on both individuals. One case involves community transmission and the other is still under investigation. The Public Health Nurses have started contact tracing and will reach out to any person who may have come into contact with these individuals. Public Health will notify each significant contact and offer instructions for preventing the spread of disease including quarantine, isolation if sick and getting tested.

“This reinforces the importance for all individuals to do their part to prevent the spread, especially as
more businesses and services reopen their doors and we start spending more time together. The
individual actions of each one of us are important to prevent, slow and disrupt the spread of the virus,
both in our community and across Alaska. Alaskans proved over the last month that our individual
behaviors can keep each other healthy and save lives. We must not lose sight of that.” Lorne Carroll,
Public Health Nurse.

The community is reminded to wear face covers in public, and keep close track of any interactions they have with others. Early tracing of COVID-19 close contacts and isolation can significantly reduce further spread. Minimizing the number of close interactions you have with others and keeping a list of them will assist contact tracing efforts. “It’s no time to let our guard down,” Dr. Anne Zink, Chief Medical Officer of Alaska said during a news conference this week. “If you can’t name everyone you spent more than 10 minutes with in the last week, then you’re probably spending too much time with too many people.”

Ways to help stop the spread of COVID-19 include:
• Wearing a face cover when with others
• Clean frequently touched surfaces.
• Keep at least six feet away from others.
• Stay home, and work from home as much as possible.
• If you are sick, even with mild symptoms, isolate yourself from others, get tested and call ahead
if you need medical attention.
• Follow all health mandates and guidance issued by Governor Dunleavy, DHSS, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and local governments and health authorities.

If you have arrived to Homer from a lower-48 or international destination, you must immediately self-quarantine for 14 days.

Testing for COVID-19 is available at no charge at South Peninsula Hospital, 24 hours a day in the main entrance parking lot. Call 235-0235 as you arrive to the parking lot for curbside, drive thru swabbing. As of today, South Peninsula Hospital has conducted 296 tests. 231 were negative, 3 were positive and 62 results are pending.

For more information related to COVID-19 and local resources, the City of Homer information line is staffed Monday through Friday 8am-5pm at 435-3197, and information and resources can be found online at www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/covid19. Statewide information and mandates can be found at covid19.alaska.gov.