Alaskans line up for virus tests as cases rise with omicron
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — People are lining up to get coronavirus tests as Alaska sees an uptick in new COVID-19 cases over the past week.
Cars lined up and some people said they waited for over an hour to get tested in Anchorage, KTUU-TV reported.
The city’s health agency said it received 25,000 at-home tests Thursday from the state. The shipment was delayed by several days.
Some tests will be distributed at the Anchorage New Year’s Eve celebration.
Cases have been on the rise in Alaska, and at least six cases of the omicron variant have been confirmed.
“We have seen a significant increase in case counts over the past week,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin. “Our increase has been about 66% since the previous week.”
McLaughlin said more confirmed omicron cases are expected after a lab was shut down this week because of a storm.
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