COVID-19 follow-up in Alaska: 2 deaths and 341 new infections reported Thursday

The deaths involved residents of Anchorage and Fairbanks, according to preliminary state data.

A total of 227 Alaskan residents 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.

On Thursday, 65 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized around Alaska and 10 more patients were suspected of having the virus, according to the state health department. Hospitalizations have fallen 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. According to the latest update on Wednesday, 35,383 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 the state has allocated the received vaccine for December and January, but there are still appointments and large clinics in the days and weeks ahead.

For more information, the public can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 and leave a message. A record says calls will be returned in order of receipt within 48 hours, but users are reporting longer delays.

Of the 333 new cases reported Thursday among Alaskan residents, there were 110 in Anchorage plus three in Chugiak, 12 in Eagle River and two in Girdwood; 42 at Fairbanks and seven at the North Pole; two in Big Lake, 23 in Palmer and 28 in Wasilla; 12 in Bethel; one to Homer, two to Kenai, five to Soldotna, and two to Sterling; six in Juneau; three at Kodiak; three in Unalaska; two in Nome; two in Utqiagvik; one in Ketchikan; one in Petersburg; one in Cordoba; and one in Valdez.

Of the communities of less than 1,000 people not named for privacy, there were 21 in the borough of North Slope; 12 in the Bethel census area; nine in the Kusilvak census area; three in the Fairbanks North Star borough; three in the Yukon-Koyukuk census region; two each in the north and south of the Kenai Peninsula; two in the Copper River census area; two in the Nome census area; two in the Northwestern Arctic Borough; one in Bristol Bay plus the boroughs of Lake and Peninsula; and one in the Borough of Kodiak Island.

Eight cases were reported Thursday among non-residents, including three in Anchorage and five in unidentified areas 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 Thursday was 3.68% 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.