Free, asymptomatic coronavirus testing will end in Haines and Klukwan on Dec. 19, according to a Tuesday press release from the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC).

Clinic administrator Stephanie Pattison said the decision to end free testing on Dec. 19 was prompted by a desire to give smaller communities time to adjust to the change. In larger communities, the consortium ended free testing earlier this month after it ran through the CARES Act-funded U.S. Indian Health Service grant that had initially subsidized the tests.

Since the grant ran out, SEARHC has been responsible for covering the cost of free tests in communities like Haines on its own, which is ultimately not sustainable, Pattison said.

She said SEARHC has also noticed a recent decline in demand for testing. “Last weekend, we had thirty-nine people get tested, down from seventy the weekend before,” she said. “We usually see a surge when there’s a new positive case, but with the most recent one, we didn’t.”

After Dec. 19, residents without symptoms who wish to receive a coronavirus test will have the option of paying $145 upfront for a test or setting up a visit with a provider who can order a test on their behalf. Pattison said there could be costs associated with the provider option, depending on insurance coverage.

So far, SEARHC’s free, asymptomatic testing program has identified 78 coronavirus cases consortium-wide. In Haines and Klukwan, however, it hasn’t identified any positive cases.

“All positive cases in Haines have been either from symptomatic testing or asymptomatic testing paid for by an employer,” Pattison said. She said to date, the majority of the Haines cases have been linked to travel, which remains the likeliest way the disease will enter the community.

On Tuesday, the Haines Borough Emergency Operations Center sent an email encouraging residents to limit discretionary travel as cases throughout the state surge. As of Wednesday morning, Haines had no active, documented COVID-19 cases.

“If at all possible, we strongly urge you to postpone any travel that is not necessary for medical or other reasons. This is to help limit the potential for asymptomatic community transmission by travelers returning from higher risk areas of the state like Juneau and Anchorage,” the email said.

Alaska Seaplanes manager Carl Ramseth said air travel between Haines and Juneau is about 40% less than last year, which has remained consistent throughout the summer and fall.

For the next month, SEARHC will continue to offer testing in Haines on Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Klukwan.

In-state travelers who wish to receive a free, borough-funded test can request a voucher by emailing eoc@haines.ak.us and can schedule an appointment with SEARHC by calling 766-6300. Borough-funded tests are offered Monday through Thursday at 10 a.m.