COVID-19 follow-up in Alaska: 190 infections, no deaths reported Thursday

The latest case count is part of a trend in Alaska of declining infections over the past two months, after a peak in November and early December that strained hospital capacity. Hospitalizations are now less than a quarter of what they were in November and December.

Thursday there were 41 people with COVID-19 in hospitals statewide, including five on ventilators. Four more patients would have the virus.

The COVID-19 vaccine reached Alaska in mid-December. As of Thursday, 149,992 people – 21% of Alaska’s total population – had received at least their first vaccine, according to the state’s Vaccine Monitoring Dashboard. This is well above the national average of 13.6%.

Among Alaskans aged 16 and over, 27% had received at least one dose of the vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for people 16 years of age and older, and Moderna has been approved for people 18 years of age and older. At least 95,257 people had received both doses of the vaccine. Alaska has currently vaccinated more residents per capita than any other state, according to a national tracker.

Healthcare workers, nursing home staff and residents were the first priority people to receive the vaccine. Alaskans over 65 became eligible in early January, and the state further expanded the eligibility criteria this month to include educators, people 50 and over with a problem. high-risk health care workers, essential front-line workers aged 50 and over, and people living or working in congregations. settings like shelters and prisons on Wednesday, officials said people who helped Alaskans 65 and older get vaccinated were now eligible for a vaccine.

Individuals eligible to receive the vaccine can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 to register and confirm their eligibility. The telephone line is open from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends.

While most parts of the state have seen a drop in cases, the Matanuska-Susitna region recently saw a spike in new infections and this week overtook the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta to record the average daily case rate on highest state. On Wednesday, the Mat-Su recorded 34.41 cases per 100,000 in the past 14 days.

Of the 149 cases reported Thursday among Alaskan residents, there were 31 in Anchorage, plus two in Chugiak, two in Eagle River and three in Girdwood; 11 in Cordoba; one in Soldotna; one to Ester; 23 at Fairbanks plus four at the North Pole; one at Delta Junction; ten to Palmer; four in Sutton-Alpine; 32 in Wasilla; one in Nome; one in Juneau; seven in Ketchikan; and 10 in Petersburg;

In communities of less than 1,000 people not named for privacy, there was one in the Prince of Wales and Hyder Census Area; two in the Bethel census area; and one in Dillingham.

There were also 41 non-resident cases including one in Anchorage, one in Fairbanks, one in the Matanuska-Susitna borough, one in Juneau, 34 in Unalaska and three 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.