Late in the day on June 22, YKHC was informed that an individual who resides in Bethel tested positive for COVID-19 while elsewhere in Alaska. While the individual has been out of region for several weeks, per State reporting protocols, the positive case will be counted as a YK Delta case.
Contact tracing reveals the individual was not in the YK Delta during the period of time they would have been exposed to or considered infectious for COVID-19. Therefore, local response for contact tracing and follow-up testing is being managed where the individual is currently located.
Although the State of Alaska has eased restrictions on travel and moved to reopen Alaska’s economy, the pandemic and the public health risks it poses is not over. YKHC urges the public to continue practicing all known protective measures, which helps to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus. Protective measures include: avoid all non-essential travel, practice regular handwashing, remain physically distant (more than six feet) from anyone who does not reside in your same household, wear a mask when in public, and frequently disinfect high-touch surfaces in your home.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include a fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, diarrhea, and diminished sense of taste or smell. If you have these symptoms, do not go to your village clinic or to the emergency room in Bethel. Instead, call your village clinic or in Bethel call 543-6949 so a health care provider can assist you.
Get the latest information on COVID-19 from YKHC at www.ykhc.org/covid-19.