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Out-Of-State Resident Tests Positive For Coronavirus In Bethel

YKHC Dentist David Humphrey holds a test tube at the drive-thru test site where he was helping on April 10, 2020.
Katie Basile
/
KYUK

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation has confirmed another case of coronavirus in Bethel, and will begin offering testing to Bethel residents concerned about potential exposure.

YKHC identified the positive case on June 11 through testing passengers arriving at the Bethel airport. YKHC said that the person is an out-of-state resident and is self-isolating. YKHC is contacting people who were in close proximity to the individual to offer testing and instruction on precautions to take, including self-isolating for 14 days from the date of contact.

The day prior, on June 10, YKHC received news that another person who had already flown into Bethel from Anchorage had tested positive for the coronavirus before leaving Anchorage. However, the positive result was not confirmed until after the individual had already arrived in Bethel. This is the first time that two coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Bethel within two days. Neither of these individuals are Bethel residents, and both are self-isolating.

YKHC will be offering testing at the drive-thru tent outside the Bethel hospital for Bethel residents concerned that they might have been exposed to the virus. Testing will be offered Friday, June 12 from noon to 4 p.m., and again on Monday, June 15, from noon to 4 p.m. No appointment or doctor referral is necessary.

YKHC encourages people who are concerned about potential exposure to the case that was confirmed on June 11 to get tested on Monday, June 15. That’s because it can take up to two weeks for the virus to become detectable. YKHC requires Bethel residents who choose to get tested to self-isolate at home until results return, which could take five to seven days.

Five cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed in Bethel. However, after follow-up testing, YKHC is “highly confident” that one of the cases was a false positive. State data shows only three cases in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, because the state categorizes cases by where the individuals reside, not where they were tested. YKHC is offering free coronavirus cases to all travelers flying into Bethel at the Bethel airport, and is urging all incoming passengers to get tested.

As of June 11, Alaska has its highest number of COVID-19 cases since the virus arrived in the state, with 202 current cases. Symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, diarrhea, and a diminished sense of taste or smell. Anyone with these symptoms is asked to not go to the Bethel hospital or village clinic, but instead to call their village clinic or the Bethel hospital at 543-6949.

Anna Rose MacArthur served as KYUK's News Director from 2015-2022.
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