As of today, a fifth Norton Sound Health Corporation employee tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
According to a press release from NSHC on Friday, the case was found through routine testing of the health corporation’s employees. NSHC says it is, “highly confident the testing found the infection in an early phase before there were many opportunities for the virus to be spread.”
NSHC says this latest Nome-based employee to test positive for COVID-19 most likely got the disease due to community spread. To date, NSHC has publicly confirmed that five of its employees, located in Nome or the surrounding region, have tested positive for the virus.
The regional health corporation is encouraging members of the local service industry, such as cab drivers, grocery store workers, and bartenders, to get regularly tested to help identify the spread of the virus in Nome.
Norton Sound Health Corporation offers free testing in Nome at their walk-in tent, Monday through Friday 8-11am and 12:30-5pm, and from 1-5pm on Sunday afternoons.
Image at top: Nome’s Norton Sound Regional Hospital. Photo: Laura Kraegel, KNOM.
