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Alaska reported one new death and 676 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
A total of 101 Alaskans have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic arrived here in March. As of Saturday, 124 people with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 were hospitalized statewide.
The new case count of 676 marks the second-highest daily tally after Alaska reported 745 new COVID-19 last Saturday. The entire state is in a high alert area based on the number of registered cases per 100,000 people, and is in the midst of an unprecedented surge in new cases, with only one day since Nov. 12 with a number of cases less than 500.
The state’s testing positivity on Friday was 8.99% on a seven-day moving average. A positivity rate above 5% may indicate high community transmission and not enough testing, health officials said.
Of the 670 new cases reported among residents of Alaska, there were 301 in Anchorage, eight in Chugiak, 24 in Eagle River; two at Anchor Point; two at Fritz Creek; 18 to Homer; nine in Kenai; two to Nikiski; 11 in Seward; 29 in Soldotna; three in pounds sterling; 10 to Kodiak; 66 in Fairbanks; 21 at the North Pole; 11 at Delta Junction; one in Tok; 14 in Palmer; 21 in Wasilla; one to Willow; four in Nome; two in Utqiagvik; 11 in Kotzebue; one in Douglas; eight in Juneau; one in Ketchikan; eight in Sitka; one in Skagway; 21 in Bethel and four in Dillingham.
Among the communities of less than 1,000 who are not named for privacy protection, there were five in the northern Kenai Peninsula; five in the south of the Kenai Peninsula; two in the borough of Kodiak Island; two in the Valdez-Cordova census area; seven in the borough of Fairbanks North Star; three in the southeast Fairbanks census area; one in the Ketchikan Gateway borough; 22 in the Bethel census area; seven in the Kusilvak census area and one in an unknown part of the state.
Of the six non-resident cases reported in Alaska on Saturday, there were two in Anchorage and four in unknown 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.
Among the new cases, the number of patients showing symptoms when they tested positive is not indicated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about a third of people with the virus are asymptomatic.
A total of 27,224 Alaskan residents and non-residents living in Alaska have tested positive for the virus since March.
State health officials say the increase in cases is leading to statewide contact tracing efforts and are asking those who test positive to contact their own close contacts.
Close contacts should then be quarantined for two weeks, even if they have no symptoms, and even if they receive negative test results during that time. If they are asymptomatic, close contacts are encouraged to get tested about a week after their potential exposure; if symptomatic, get tested immediately.
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