Active COVID cases drop to 71

By Peter Loewi

A long weekend and stormy weather again drove COVID testing and cases down across the region. For the first time since January 10, active cases dropped below 100, a welcome development.

There are currently 71 active cases in the region: 23 in Nome, 16 in Savoonga, five in each of Gambell, Golovin and Koyuk, four in Stebbins, three in both St. Michael and White Mountain, two in both Brevig and Diomede, and one case in each village of Shaktoolik, Teller and Unalakleet. 

Were headed in the right direction,” said Dr. Mark Peterson, Medical Director at the Norton Sound Health Corporation. If we can get through the Iditarod, then well be in a good place.”

As three large events come through the region — first the Iron Dog, then Arctic Eagle and finally Iditarod— he advised continuing to do the things practiced throughout the pandemic, such as wearing masks in public places, keeping distance, washing hands, and getting vaccinated and boosted. He also said that those attending events such as the banquets should be smart and consider testing before going.

Alaska has been the tail end of most COVID-19 waves in all its variants so far, and the region has been the tail end of Alaska, but there are concerns about another Omicron mutation, called BA.2.

BA.2 appears to be around 30 percent more contagious than Omicron and more effective at evading immune responses. While it doesnt appear to have caught on in the U.S. yet, it has caused a second wave in some countries. According to the CDCs online tracker, it currently makes about 4 percent of cases sequenced, doubling every week for the past month. Alaska Department of Health and Social Services sequencing showed it at 4 percent on January 30.

Samuel Scarpino, manager director of pathogen surveillance at the Rockefeller Foundation told National Public Radio that There is this lurking threat of BA.2. And we need to make sure this isnt going to be a problem before we roll back all the mandates, before we tell everybody that its safe.”

The Nome mask mandate, however, expired Monday, February 21, just as Iron Dog racers and fans sped into town. The mandate is still in effect in all City-owned buildings, and City Manager Glenn Steckman recommends people keep wearing masks in indoors public places until the end of Iditarod.

 

The week in numbers

On Tuesday, February 15, NSHC identified 55 COVID-19 cases: 16 were in Gambell, eight were in Savoonga, six were in Nome, five were in Teller, four were in each of Koyuk, Stebbins, and White Mountain, three were in Diomede, two were in Shishmaref, and one was in each of Brevig Mission, Elim and Unalakleet.

At the time, there were 183 active cases in the region: 43 in Nome, 36 in both Gambell and Savoonga, 15 in Koyuk, 13 in Unalakleet, 10 in Stebbins, eight in Teller, five in Shishmaref, four in White Mountain, three in Diomede, two in Elim, and one in each of Brevig Mission, Golovin and Shaktoolik.

On Wednesday, February 16, NSHC identified 64 COVID-19 cases: 21 were in Savoonga, 10 were in Stebbins, nine were in Nome, seven were in Shaktoolik, six were in Gambell, six were in Shishmaref, two were in Diomede, two were in White Mountain and one was in Brevig Mission.

This meant that there were 200 active cases in the region: 42 in Nome, 40 in Savoonga, 37 in Gambell, 19 in Stebbins, 13 in Koyuk, 11 in Shishmaref, 10 in Unalakleet, seven in Teller, six in Shaktoolik, six in White Mountain, five in Diomede, two in Brevig, one in Elim and one in Golovin. 

Thursday, February 17 saw NSHC identify 33 new COVID-19 cases in the region. There were 14 in Savoonga, 12 in Nome, two in Gambell, and one in each Brevig, Diomede, Stebbins, Teller, and Unalakleet.

This brough active cases up to 214: 54 in Savoonga, 48 in Nome, 39 in Gambell, 18 in Stebbins, 11 in Koyuk, 10 in Unalakleet, nine in Shishmaref, eight in Teller, five in Diomede, five in White Mountain, three in Brevig, two in Shaktoolik, one in Elim, and one in Golovin.

Over the long weekend between Friday, February 18 and Monday, February 21, NSHC identified 51 new COVID-19 cases in the. 11 cases in Nome, seven in Stebbins, six in Koyuk, five in both Brevig and Golovin, three in each of Gambell, Diomede, and St. Michael, two in each of Savoonga, Teller and Diomede and one in both Unalakleet and Shaktoolik.

As of February 22, 2022, the United States of America has had 78,529,099 reported cases and 935,990 known deaths.

Alaska has had 228,237 cases, 3,564 hospitalizations and 1,108 deaths. There are currently 106 people in the hospital in Alaska due to COVID-19.

The Nome, Norton Sound and Bering Strait region had at least 4,939 cases, 39 hospitalizations and five deaths.

The Nome Nugget

PO Box 610
Nome, Alaska 99762
USA

Phone: (907) 443-5235
Fax: (907) 443-5112

www.nomenugget.net

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