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Alaska has returned to high alert statewide as the number of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations rises while the vaccination rate stalls.
“This pandemic is clearly not over and is being driven primarily by unvaccinated people,” said Dr. Joe McLaughlin, Alaska State Epidemiologist.
The latest increase in cases started around early July and increased sharply last week, McLaughlin said. This has prompted some communities, like Juneau, to ask people to mask themselves indoors again, whether or not they are vaccinated.
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Across the country, many states are seeing an increase in new coronavirus cases, following a drop in infections earlier this year.
Alaska had 882 new infections last week, according to state data – up 140% from the previous week, but still lower than the winter outbreak. The vast majority of new cases involve people who are not vaccinated, McLaughlin said.
He said there were two big factors behind the latest wave of infections.
First, there’s the rise of the highly contagious delta variant, which now accounts for most new cases in Alaska. Second, he said, the state has reopened and more and more people are meeting in person again.
“So the more people get together, the more transmission is going to happen, especially when you have that delta variant going,” McLaughlin said.
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The good news is that fully vaccinated Alaskans are largely protected against the coronavirus, including the delta variant, McLaughlin said. But the problem is that Alaska’s vaccinations have slowed: only 52% of residents aged 12 and over are fully vaccinated.
“Our proportion of the population that is getting vaccinated now is much, much lower than it was a few months ago,” McLaughlin said. “And we really need to see this change. “
Along with the recent increase in cases, hospitals in Alaska are also reporting an increase in the number of patients with severe symptoms of the virus.
According to state data, 59 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus in Alaska on Saturday, up from 37 a week earlier.
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At the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, the increase in the number of coronavirus patients began in early July, said Chief Medical Officer Dr Holly Alfrey.
“About two weeks ago we might have had two patients hospitalized with coronavirus. And this morning we were up to 14, “she said.
Alfrey said not all of the patients the hospital admitted with coronavirus symptoms have been vaccinated.
“As a doctor, I’ll tell you that I think the reason people get sick and go to the hospital is because they haven’t been vaccinated,” she said. “I think it extends us considerably – in our hospital and in all the hospitals in Anchorage and indeed in hospitals across the country.”
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Nearby at the Alaska Regional Hospital, Infection Prevention Coordinator Jenny Mayo said the number of COVID-19 patients had also increased steadily over the past two weeks.
“The majority of these patients are not vaccinated, or not fully vaccinated,” she said. “The overall number of hospitalizations has yet to reach the levels of previous waves, but the growing number of COVID-19 is cause for concern. “
Mayo said most patients are younger – under 65 – compared to earlier peaks.
While the hospital sees a few patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus despite their full vaccination, she said, “these people are more likely to have milder or moderate symptoms.”
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Mayo, Alfrey and McLaughlin urged Alaskans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Vaccination rates vary widely from community to community, and McLaughlin said he was concerned that areas with lower rates could become hot spots.
“I suspect that we will continue to see increases with this new delta variant,” he said. “The communities with the lowest vaccination rates will be the communities that are likely to be hardest hit by this increased number of cases and likely to see more epidemics. “
If you’re not vaccinated, McLaughlin advised wearing a face mask when around people outside of your immediate social bubble. Also, wearing a mask in crowded public places might be a good idea for vaccinated Alaskans who want extra protection, he said, including those with underlying health conditions.
Contact reporter Tegan Hanlon at [email protected] or 907-550-8447.
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