It had been 26 days since a case of COVID-19 was reported in the community of Stebbins, population about 550. Then on Tuesday night, Norton Sound Health Corporation announced a cluster of 12 new cases were confirmed in that community.
According to NSHC, Stebbins’ leadership has been notified and there is currently a hunker down order in effect locally. NSHC will send staff and supplies to provide for community-wide testing so every Stebbins resident can receive a COVID-19 test.
Read more stories of how the coronavirus is affecting rural Alaska
The State Section of Epidemiology is conducting contact tracing and investigating the cause of the virus’s spread in these cases. NSHC did not say if these cases are all connected or not. The origin of spread is currently unknown.
With these 12 new cases of COVID-19, the Norton Sound’s total is up to 107. Thirty-one of those cases are active while 76 are considered recovered.
Davis Hovey is a news reporter at KNOM - Nome.
Hovey was born and raised in Virginia. He spent most of his childhood in Greene County 20 minutes outside of Charlottesville where University of Virginia is located.
Hovis was drawn in by the opportunity to work for a radio station in a remote, unique place like Nome Alaska. Hovis went to Syracuse University, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Broadcast Digital Journalism.
