The Denali Center, a 75-bed rehabilitation and senior center in Fairbanks, recently began testing its residents and staff after one confirmed case of COVID-19 was established on Saturday, March 28. The facility, run by Foundation Health Partners, currently has 135 staff members working a variety of shifts at the 19th Avenue location. It was determined the affected individual, a resident female, 80, was only “mildly symptomatic” and is quarantined in her apartment. All other residents are also confined to their rooms and wear masks to prevent the spread of the disease. Read more from the Foundation Health Partners and Denali Center here: https://www.foundationhealth.org/fhp_home/covid_19

As of March 30, three Alaskans have died from the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. On Sunday, March 29, 12 new confirmed cases brought Alaska’s total to 114. According to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), seven people have been hospitalized across the state. The latest fatality, a 73-year-old male, died Saturday evening after he was admitted to an Anchorage hospital and tested positive for COVID-19. For the latest information pertaining to the Alaska response to COVID-19, and data related to testing and diagnosis, visit the DHSS website: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/id/Pages/COVID-19/monitoring.aspx

The State of Alaska reports that as of March 29, 2020, The Alaska State Public Lab had completed 1,653 COVID-19 tests for Alaska residents. Commercial or academic (private) labs completed 2,001 tests for Alaska residents during the same time frame. Source: Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS).

On March 29, 2020, the Municipality of Anchorage announced its first Alternate Care Site in the Alaska Airlines Center on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. The Muni’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is establishing the site as a “Temporary facility that provides care to patients who are stable, but require medical observation and basic support,” according to the center. The Alaska Airlines Center has the capacity to support at least 150 patients. “When our local hospitals experience an overwhelming surge of patients as a result of COVID-19, we need decompression plans like an alternate care site at the ready,” said Anchorage Health Department Director Natasha Pineda. Currently, Anchorage hospitals are meeting demand, but should COVID-19 case numbers increase, the EOC will have the capability to provide care to the additional patients. Find more information about the Municipality of Anchorage Emergency Operations Center here: https://www.muni.org/Departments/OEM/EOC/Pages/default.aspx.