Sporadic community spread of COVID-19 no longer in Napaskiak

On June 25, in consultation with the Alaska Section of Epidemiology, the Napaskiak Tribal Council, City of Napaskiak, and YKHC issued a joint statement about the strong likelihood of sporadic community spread of COVID-19 in Napaskiak.

After comprehensive review of data collected during community-based testing, YKHC believes there is no longer sporadic community spread of COVID-19 occurring in Napaskiak at this time. YKHC would like to thank Napaskiak’s leadership for implementing community-wide protective measures to help isolate COVID-19 in the village.

While the State has relaxed statewide health mandates, as YKHC has been stating for several weeks, the pandemic and the public health risks it poses is not over. Because COVID-19 is a novel virus, hospitals do not have access to vaccines that can prevent transmission or medical treatments that can treat serious infections. Since we can never know when a COVID-19 will result in serious illness or death, we urge all YK Delta residents to remain vigilant and practice all known protective measures against COVID-19. 

Protective measures include: avoid all non-essential travel, opt for free COVID-19 testing upon arrival at the Bethel, St. Mary’s, and Aniak airports when arriving from out-of-region, practice regular handwashing, remain physically distant (more than six feet) from anyone who does not reside in your same household, wear a mask when in public, and frequently disinfect high-touch surfaces in your home.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include a fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, diarrhea, and diminished sense of taste or smell. If you have these symptoms, do not go to your village clinic or to the emergency room in Bethel. Instead, call your village clinic or in Bethel call 543-6949 so a health care provider can assist you.

Get the latest information on COVID-19 from YKHC at www.ykhc.org/covid-19.