COVID-19 follow-up in Alaska: 1 death and 296 infections reported Wednesday

State data showed the death involved an Anchorage resident. A total of 225 Alaskans and one non-resident with COVID-19 have died since the pandemic hit the state in March. Alaska’s per capita death rate is among the lowest in the country, although the size of the state and vulnerable health care system complicate national comparisons.

61 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized in the state on Wednesday and seven other patients were suspected of having the virus, according to the state. Hospitalizations have dropped sharply since high numbers were reported in November and early December.

The daily number of cases in the state has also dropped significantly in recent weeks, but the statewide alert level is still high.

Vaccines reached Alaska in mid-December. As of Wednesday, 35,853 people had received their first dose of the vaccine, with 7,965 given the two doses needed for the vaccine to be fully effective, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring dashboard.

State officials said this week that the state has allocated the received vaccine for December and January, but there are still appointments and large clinics taking place in the days and weeks ahead.

For more information, the public can go to covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 and leave a message. A record indicates that calls will be returned in order of receipt within 48 hours.

Of the 288 new cases reported among Alaskan residents Wednesday, there were 81 in Anchorage, 12 in Eagle River and one in Girdwood; 39 in Fairbanks; 19 in Bethel; 18 in Wasilla; eight to Palmer; seven at the North Pole; seven in Petersburg; six in Ketchikan; four at Kodiak; four in Unalaska; three in Kenai; three in Nome; two in Utqiagvik; two at Delta Junction; one at Homer’s; one in Seward; one in Soldotna; one in pounds sterling; one in Cordoba; one in Valdez; one in Kotzebue; one in Juneau; one in Sitka; one in Hooper Bay; and one in an unidentified region of the state.

Of the communities of less than 1,000 people not named for privacy, there were 27 in the Bethel census area; seven in the borough of North Slope; seven in the Kusilvak census area; six in the Yukon-Koyukuk census region; three in the north of the Kenai Peninsula; three in the Fairbanks North Star borough; three in the Northwestern Arctic Borough; one in the south of the Kenai Peninsula; one in the borough of Kodiak Island; one in the Valdez-Cordova census area; one in the Denali borough; and one in the Prince of Wales and Hyder census region.

Eight cases were reported Wednesday among non-residents, including three in Juneau, two in Fairbanks, one in Anchorage, one in Kenai and one in an unidentified area of ​​the state.

While people can be tested more than once, each case reported by the state’s health department represents only one person.

State data does not specify whether people who test positive for COVID-19 have symptoms. More than half of the country’s infections are transmitted by asymptomatic people, according to CDC estimates.

The statewide test positivity rate on Wednesday was 4.06% over a seven-day average. Health officials say anything over 5% can indicate inadequate testing and widespread community transmission. The condition peaked at over 9% positivity in November.