2021-04-13 New Additional COVID Case

NEWS RELEASE of an ADDITIONAL ​COVID Case 
For immediate release: Tuesday April 13, 2021 as of 4:10 p.m.
New Confirmed COVID-19 Case

There was an additional new positive case of COVID-19 identified today. This case is a household member/close contact to the earlier positive case reported earlier today. This individual is a local resident and is isolation.

Health officials have found evidence of community transmission of COVID-19 in Wrangell. Community transmission happens when there are confirmed cases of COVID-19 and there is no source of infection identified in some of the cases and cannot be directly traced back to a known exposure. Due to the identification of community transmission, and to reduce the spread of COVID-19, health officials and the local EOC are reinforcing the importance of practicing social distancing, wearing a mask or face covering when in public spaces, frequent hand washing and staying home when sick.

Here are key steps all Alaskans should be taking right now:
• Keep close interactions to a very small group of people, ideally just within your household.
• Stay 6 feet away from others outside your household at all times.
• Mask up in public places.
• Avoid gatherings. Find creative ways to be social that keep people six feet apart. Go virtual, and remember, being outdoors around others is safer than being indoors.
• Wash hands often. Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and objects.
• Stay home if you feel sick.
• Get tested for COVID-19 even if you have one symptom, or mild symptoms.
• Keep track of your contacts and contact them immediately if you test positive for COVID-19.
• Answer the call if a public health contact tracer calls you and follow their guidelines.

Individuals who have tested positive are being asked to notify their close contacts. These close contacts will also be notified by Public Health. Please exercise personal responsibility related to COVID-19. If you are contacted by a positive individual and informed you are a close contact, or if you believe yourself to be a close contact, quarantine for 10 days, monitor for symptoms and seek testing between days 5-7 of quarantine.

If you are experiencing symptoms, please call the SEARHC COVID-19 Hotline at 907.966.8799 or your local healthcare provider.

If you have additional questions contact the Wrangell COVID Hotline at 907.874.2684 or visit covid19.alaska.gov or covid19.searhc.org for the latest coronavirus information.
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