Late last night, Norton Sound Health Corporation announced three additional cases of the disease caused by the coronavirus were found in Nome. This brings the local total to 19 active cases of COVID-19, the highest amount of active cases Nome has seen during the pandemic.

NSHC says two of the cases acquired the virus through community spread. The third individual tested positive through the City of Nome’s travel and testing requirements. Two of the three new cases are also NSHC employees.

According to the regional health corporation, all three patients are safely isolating. NSHC says there is evidence that community spread of COVID-19 is currently happening in Nome. Before these latest cases were announced, Nome Public Schools made the decision to move to distance learning for the rest of the semester, starting next week.

The State Section of Epidemiology and Public Health Nursing are aware of these three new cases and will conduct contract tracing.

The Norton Sound region now has a total of 196 cases of COVID-19. 25 of those are currently active while 171 are considered recovered. 19 of the active cases are in Nome, three are in Golovin, and then one each in Stebbins, St. Michael, and Elim.

Image at top: Particles from the coronavirus. Photo in the public domain via Creative Commons (2020).