Norton Sound Health Corporation announced a new case of COVID-19 in Nome today. This is the sixth positive case that is connected to a pair of patients who were confirmed to have the virus last week.
Nome Public Schools announced Thursday night that the latest patient is a student athlete at Nome-Beltz Middle and High School. NPS did not say which sport the student participates in.
The original two NSHC employees tested positive for COVID-19 nine days ago on August 11th, after traveling back to Nome. Within 24 hours of those two cases being announced, three more individuals tested positive because they were considered close contacts of the first two cases.
A close contact is defined as any person who has spent 15 minutes or more within six feet of an individual who has the virus, during their infectious period.
Several days later on August 16th, a resident of Diomede tested positive for COVID-19 in connection to the two NSHC employees’ cases from last week. Last night, NSHC announced that a separate health corporation employee in Nome, who tested positive for the virus, is part of the cluster that is connected to the original pair of cases.
And with today’s newest patient, in less than ten days, two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nome has now quadrupled and spread between at least two communities.
NSHC urges residents identified as close contacts to take quarantine instructions seriously and continue to follow suggested safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Image at top: Particles from the coronavirus. Photo in the public domain via Creative Commons
