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Monday’s case count comes as infections have plummeted in recent weeks. The state saw a spike in infections in November and early December, prompting officials to worry about the hospital’s capacity and triggering a “dropout” order for the Municipality of Anchorage.
As of Monday, there were 54 people with COVID-19 in hospitals statewide and four more patients suspected of having the virus. Eight of those people were on ventilators, the state health department said. Hospitalizations are about half of what they were during the peak in November and December.
A total of 228 Alaskans and one non-resident with COVID-19 have died since the pandemic reached the state in March, including 23 deaths reported since January 1. Alaska’s per capita death rate is among the lowest in the country, although the size and vulnerability of the healthcare system complicates national comparisons.
Despite the decrease in cases, Alaska remains on high alert.
The vaccines arrived in the state in mid-December, and as of Monday, nearly 44,000 people had received the first dose, according to the state’s Vaccine Monitoring Dashboard. Almost 12,000 people had received the second dose.
Health care workers, nursing home staff and residents were the first group to receive the vaccinations. Earlier this month, the state opened up vaccines to adults over 65, though appointment windows are limited and fill up quickly when the scheduling window opens.
For more information on immunization appointments, the public can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 and leave a message. One record says calls will be returned in order of receipt within 48 hours, but some users have reported longer delays.
Of the 149 cases reported Monday among residents of Alaska, 49 were in Anchorage and two in Eagle River; two were in Homer, four in Kenai, one in Nikiski and five in Soldotna; five were at Kodiak; one was in Cordoba; 10 were at Fairbanks and three at the North Pole; one was at Delta Junction; one was in Palmer, 12 in Wasilla and two in Willow; one was at Nome; three were in Utqiagvik; two were in Juneau; one was in Petersburg; one was in Sitka; one was in Wrangell; and three were at Bethel.
Among the communities with less than 1,000 individuals not named for privacy protection, there was one in the southeast Fairbanks census area; one was in the Matanuska-Susitna district; two were in the borough of North Slope; 12 were in the Northwestern Arctic Borough; 12 were in the Bethel census area; one was in Bristol Bay plus the Boroughs of Lake and Peninsula; and 10 were in the Kusilvak census area.
Four non-residents have tested positive for the virus, including two in Anchorage, one in Nome and one in Juneau.
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 Monday was 3.41% over an average of seven days. Health officials say anything over 5% can indicate inadequate testing and widespread community transmission. The condition peaked at over 9% positivity in November.
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