As of Monday, April 26, there have been 64,786 confirmed cases of Alaska residents with COVID-19.

The latest news from Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, including the latest health mandates and alerts, can be found here.

Press Release: On Sunday, April 25, Norton Sound Health Corporation identified a positive case of COVID-19 in a Nome resident. The case is believed to be acquired through community spread. The patient is now safely isolating and their close contacts are being notified.

NSHC would like to notify the public that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 if on the nights of Wednesday and Thursday, April 21 and 22 they visited the following Nome downtown establishments: Board of Trade, Breakers Bar or Polar Bar.

If people were at any of those establishments during that time, NSHC advises the following in order to stop the spread of the virus:

·        If you are not vaccinated against COVID-19, you should get tested, quarantine for seven days, and test again after the seven days.

·        If you are vaccinated against COVID-19, you should watch for any symptoms of the virus.

·        If you are unsure if you were at the establishments during that time and are not vaccinated, you should get tested and test again after seven days.

In Nome, testing for COVID-19 is now open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Nome Operations Building Testing Center, located at the corner of Greg Kruschek Avenue and K Street. The Testing Center will close for lunch from 12-1 p.m. but will otherwise be simultaneously available during the airport testing timeframe.

Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 not only slows the spread of the virus but also allows individuals to continue on without much disruption to their daily lives if they happen to be exposed to the virus.

COVID-19 vaccinations are now available in different locations around Nome, including the NSHC Pharmacy and after-hours at Nome City Hall on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays this month. To make an appointment for a vaccination at those locations, sign up at www.picktime.com/NSHC. Walk-in vaccinations are available at the Nome Post Office from 12-3 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, at the Nome airport for incoming passengers.

Press Release: Norton Sound Health Corporation is resuming use of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine after following a recommended pause on its administration.

NSHC is following guidance from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, which found after thorough safety review that the pause on the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. should be lifted, and use of the vaccine should resume.

The initial pause was recommended after an extremely rare blood clot was found in six individuals, following the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. During the pause, medical and scientific teams at the FDA and CDC assessed the risk of the type of blood clot that occurs in individuals with low levels of blood platelets. The patients who have experienced the clots have been women aged 18-48, and symptoms occurred six to 13 days after their vaccinations. The chances of the clots occurring is about 1 in 500,000.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19, and FDA says that the vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh the risks.

NSHC has made COVID-19 vaccinations available to everyone 16 and older in the region. The mRNA vaccines Pfizer and Moderna, which are both two doses, are readily available. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine has become available to everyone of 18 years and older. In village communities, residents can call their local clinic to request their preferred vaccine. In Nome, residents may sign up for a two-dose Pfizer or single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccination by booking an appointment at www.picktime.com/NSHC.

Stay up-to-date by visiting the latest:https://www.nortonsoundhealth.org/category/covid-19/

To make an after hours appointment at Nome City Hall, please visit www.picktime.com/NSHC.

Results via Text: NSHC now has mobile phone text results available! It's a quick and easy way to get your COVID-19 test results and show proof that you have been tested. Text 833-413-0568 with the patient's full name and date of birth to receive your test results.

If you have been tested recently, you may automatically receive a text from NSHC. You will be asked for permission to send results and can reply "STOP" to receive no further messages from NSHC.

If you would prefer to look up your own results using the MyHealth Patient Portal, you may do so here or by signing up for the portal through NSHC Registration at 443-4542.

The Tribal Leader Call continues on Mondays and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Tribal leaders are invited to call into 1-800-315-6338; access code: 03286#. If you have trouble dialing in, an alternative number to call is: 1-913-904-9376, also with access code: 03286#.

Please mute your phone until the end, when NSHC will answer any questions.

Do you have questions in advance? Email Reba Lean, NSHC Public Relations Manager at [email protected] or text 907-434-1927 before 11 a.m., and your questions will be answered during the briefing.

Nome Airport Testing: Passengers arriving at the Nome airport can now receive COVID-19 testing upon arrival. Travelers to Nome may choose to shorten their quarantine time from 14 days to seven days, if they receive COVID-19 testing upon arrival and again seven days after arrival.

Outpatient Services Reopen: Norton Sound Health Corporation would like to welcome back patients who have put off their health care visits because of COVID-19 concerns. Please call Primary Care at 443-3333 or your local clinic to make an appointment for your health care needs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released guidelines addressing regions with low rates of COVID-19 and says patients may been seen for visits and screening exams, such as mammograms and colonoscopies. If you would like to be seen by telemedicine, NSHC has that option available as well for many types of care.

Cloth Face Coverings at NSHC: The State of Alaska recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings, and NSHC requires face coverings in all of its facilities. Patients are encouraged to bring their own masks, but masks will be made available if patients do not have them, and they must be worn at all times during their visit.

You can read more about frequently asked questions about cloth face coverings on the CDC website.

Scheduling Appointments: If you live in a village, please call your local clinic for all health concerns. If the clinic is closed, your calls will ring to the Nurse Call Line. You can also call the Nurse Call Line directly at 907-443-6411 or 844-586-8773 with any urgent needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you live in Nome, please call the Primary Care Clinic during business hours if you feel sick or have other health care needs at 443-3333. If you have urgent healthcare concerns outside clinic hours, feel free to contact the Nurse Call Line at 443-6411.

In Nome, if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and are directed to come in for testing, please use the hospital's rear entrance.

After a Test, per DHSS: If you have symptoms and are being tested for COVID-19, you should self-isolate while waiting for your test results. If you test positive, a public health nurse will monitor you. You’ll be allowed to leave isolation once 10 days have passed since your symptoms started and 3 days have passed since recovery. Recovery is defined as being fever-free (without the use of fever-reducing medications) and improvement in respiratory symptoms. Even if you test negative, you should still continue to self-isolate for 7 days from when your symptoms started and until you’ve gone three days since recovery. If you have been identified as a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, you must stay in quarantine for 14 days from your last exposure (certain exceptions may apply to people working in a critical infrastructure sector). A negative test result does not shorten your quarantine.

COVID-19 Guidance for Close Quarters: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has some tips for families and groups that share small or crowded homes. The guidance covers what to do if you share a room with someone who is sick and how you can remain safe while sharing a small space.

Read more details about how to follow that guidance here.

VILLAGE HEALTH SERVICES: In order to protect communities and health care providers in the villages, NSHC will be locking doors to local clinics. The clinics will remain operational during normal hours. When a patient calls to schedule an appointment, they will be asked a series of screening questions by a Community Health Aide to determine any exposure to COVID-19. Their chief complaint will be brought to a provider to determine if an appointment can be completed over the phone or scheduled in clinic. 

PRIMARY CARE CLINIC TELEHEALTH: The Primary Care Clinic (PCC) in Nome is operating with reduced hours from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. PCC is currently seeing patients that require face-to-face visits, determined by their doctor. However, you can talk to your doctor under PCC’s new telemedicine program. Norton Sound Health Corporation now offers telehealth direct-to-home video and telephone appointments for Nome and Village customer-owners and patients. This new service delivers health care to you in the comfort of your own home, or wherever you may be.

This new service allows customer-owners to have the choice of a video consult with NSHC physicians using their smartphone, tablet (iPad), or computer. You can see a physician for most medical problems that you would typically come to the primary care clinic for. Some of the common issues addressed with telemedicine include:

Nome and Village patients with a chronic medical condition such as diabetes or hypertension may be contacted by the telehealth team to schedule a follow-up visit by telemedicine soon. Your provider will send you a unique link that you can use on your device, which we may have to test before your virtual visit. We may ask you to go to the hospital to have lab tests done before your visit.

Nome customer-owners may request a telehealth visit with their primary care provider by calling the clinic to schedule a video or telephone consult. PCC will make an effort to schedule your appointment on the same day, if one is available. PCC will give you a specific appointment time, just like you would receive for a regular, in-person visit.

Coping During COVID-19: Every person reacts uniquely to stressful situations. With COVID-19 concerns across the world, you may experience:

Click here for more on COVID-19 coping skills.

NSHC has received many inquiries from the public about how they can help during this COVID-19 national emergency. In this stressful time, it is important to remain generous and thoughtful. A little extra kindness goes a long way.

There are many ways you can help serve your community, thereby helping your health care system stay under its capacity:

Additionally, there are ways you can help your local health care community specifically. Here are a few ideas:

Mark Peterson, MD - Medical Director: "At NSHC we continue the ongoing process of planning and preparation for dealing with COVID-19 in our region. We are fortunate to now have point-of-care testing here in our lab in Nome. We have the ability to test patients from Nome or any of our villages and get same-day results from the time the sample reaches our lab. This will allow us to more rapidly isolate those who get infected, and those who come into contact with infected persons. We are fortunate to have this capability and we feel it well help us greatly in our effort to mitigate spread of the virus."

Nationwide: Read up on all COVID-19 information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Statewide: Do you have non-clinical questions about COVID-19? You can utilize the Alaska 211 hotline and speak with a medical volunteer. Find all Alaska DHSS recommendations and mandates here.

Regional: If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath) and you believe you may have come into contact with the virus, you should call NSHC's Nurse Call Line before going to your provider to be seen: 907-443-6411. All the latest public safety announcements from NSHC can be found on our website.

ANMC: For information on how COVID-19 is impacting services at the Alaska Native Medical Center, including visitor restrictions, visit their website.