As of July 12, two more cases of COVID-19 were identified in Nome. The Norton Sound Health Corporation, or NSHC, announced that both residents contracted the virus over last week.
The case from July 11 is travel related, while the other from July 12 is due to community spread.
Both patients are safely in quarantine. Their close contacts are aware of the possibility of infection.
These two active cases in Nome brought the total number of Norton Sound Region COVID-19 cases up to 427 since the pandemic started in 2020.
To continue addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, Nome maintains its state of local emergency. However, the local requirement to check vaccination cards or test incoming visitors for COVID at the airport was lifted on June 29th. Voluntary airport testing is still encouraged.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in the Norton Sound Region dropped since last month, and is now two. This followed the recovery of all Koyuk residents who tested positive for the virus during a local outbreak last month.
As COVID-19 case numbers drop, vaccination rates continue to rise throughout the region. Since last week, NSHC administered 64 new first doses, and 66 more individuals were fully vaccinated.
As of July 10, 72% of the entire population in Nome has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 70% has been fully vaccinated.
In the Norton Sound region, 64% of the entire population has received at least the first dose of the vaccine. 61% of the population is fully vaccinated. The region is aiming for herd immunity, hoping to get a target of 70% of the region vaccinated. When 9% more of the region is fully vaccinated, businesses may safely reopen and community activities return to normal, NSHC said.
The NSHC states that if individuals are vaccinated, they can go without a mask in public and can gather in groups.
Image at top: The COVID-19 Virus. Photo credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
