COVID-19 cases decrease in the region

By Diana Haecker
While COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the Lower 48 are on the rise and people start their holiday travels, the regional COVID cases are decreasing. Since the COVID variant Omicron was identified as a variant of concern just after Thanksgiving, the highly contagious mutation of the coronavirus accounts for 70 percent of current COVID infections nationwide, reports the Centers of Disease Control.
President Joe Biden in a press conference on Tuesday addressed the nation, saying, “I want to start by acknowledging how tired, worried, and frustrated I know you are.  I know how you’re feeling.” Vaccinations, he said, are still the best way to protect oneself from COVID infections, even from the highly contagious Omicron variant.
He pointed out that the risk increases for the unvaccinated to not only become infected but also to spread it to others.
“According to our doctors, even if you’re fully vaccinated, you should wear a mask when indoors in public settings,” he said. “Wearing a mask provides extra protection for you and those around you.  And I know some Americans are wondering if you can safely celebrate the holidays with your family and friends. The answer is yes, you can, if you and those you celebrate with are vaccinated, particularly if you’ve gotten your booster shot.” In addition to 80,000 vaccination sites, the president ordered 10,000 more to be opened nationwide. He ordered FEMA to stand up pop-up vaccination clinics. Using the Defense Production Act and $3 billion the government will buy 500 million at-home rapid tests. Starting January, private insurance will cover at home tests and for those without insurance, tests are free.
To prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, 1,000 military doctors and nurses were deployed to help local staff in Wisconsin and Indiana. FEMA is also providing extra hospital beds and constructing emergency sites, as well as deploying hundreds of ambulances.
In order to keep schools open and children safe, the CDC issued test-to-stay guidelines to keep students in school even when a classmate tests positive.
On Friday, December 17 the 6th Circuit Federal court of appeals issued a ruling on the recent challenge to President Biden’s Employer Vaccine Mandate. The court reinstated OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard that established a vaccine policy for private employers with more than 100 employees. OSHA requires that employees of those companies get vaccinated for COVID-19 or be tested for COVID-19 weekly.

In Nome and the region, the case load decreased compared to last week, but Alaska and rural Alaska is usually behind trends that occur in the Lower 48 first.
As of Tuesday, the region has 43 active cases of which 21 are in Unalakleet, 12 in Nome, eight in St. Michael and two in Stebbins.
On Monday, NSHC identified three cases in Unalakleet, and the patients are considered close contacts to previous cases.
On Thursday, Dec. 16, Norton Sound Health Corporation identified one positive COVID-19 case in Unalakleet. The case in considered to be community spread.
Over the weekend, NSHC identified 17 COVID-19 cases. There were six close contact and four community spread cases in Unalakleet, four close contact cases in Nome and three close contact cases in St. Michael.
Between Tuesday, Dec. 14 and Wednesday, Dec. 15, NSHC identified 11 COVID-19 cases. There were six close contact and one community spread case in Unalakleet, two close contact cases in Nome, one unidentified case in Stebbins and one close contact case in St. Michael.
According to a Norton Sound Health Corporation press release, medical staff continues to state that the most important thing regional residents can do to protect themselves against the Omicron variant is to get vaccinated and get a booster vaccine to help improve immune response. People over age 65 are at high risk and should be sure to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines. The Moderna and Pfizer boosters are especially effective in preventing serious illness and death, NSHC says.
In Alaska, there have been 149,591 cases and 915 deaths of residents. Currently, there are 65 patients in the hospital with COVID and 11 are on ventilators.
In Nome and the region there have been 2,170 cases, 21 hospitalizations and two deaths.