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All three deaths were Anchorage residents, state data showed.
A total of 196 Alaskans and one non-resident with COVID-19 have died since the pandemic began here in March. Alaska’s overall per capita death rate is among the lowest in the country, but officials say the state’s vast geography and vulnerable healthcare system make it difficult to compare with other states.
Almost 60% of those who died from the coronavirus in Alaska were residents of Anchorage.
After recording an extremely high number of cases through November and early December, infections and hospitalizations in recent days appear to be leveling off statewide, state officials said.
However, the number of infections reported daily remains higher than reports in the spring, summer and early fall, and hospital capacity and staff issues remain a concern, state officials say. .
They attribute part of the drop in the number of cases to Anchorage’s hunker down order in place throughout the month and continue to urge Alaskans to avoid gatherings with people outside their homes during the holidays.
As of Wednesday, there were 106 people with COVID-19 in hospitals in Alaska, including 15 on ventilators and five others in the hospital with suspected cases. Statewide, 56 intensive care unit beds were available as of Wednesday.
As of Wednesday morning, the state’s vaccines webpage showed that 8,918 people in the state had been vaccinated so far. This tracker shows the number of vaccines administered slightly late in real time.
Health officials continue to recommend basic disease prevention practices, including wearing a mask, social distancing and hand washing.
Of the 355 cases reported Wednesday among Alaskan residents, there were 118 in Anchorage plus one in Chugiak, 33 in Eagle River and two in Girdwood; two to Homer; two in Kenai; one in Seward; seven in Soldotna; one in pounds sterling; 20 to Kodiak; one in Cordoba; one in Valdez; 33 in Fairbanks newer at the North Pole; two at Delta Junction; eight in Tok; one in Big Lake; 40 in Palmer; 25 in Wasilla; seven in Utqiagvik; one in Juneau; one in Ketchikan; one to Craig; four in Sitka; three in Unalaska; and 14 in Bethel.
Among communities of less than 1,000 people not named for privacy protection, there were three in the northern Kenai Peninsula; one in the Valdez-Cordova census area; two in the southeast Fairbanks census area; one in the North Slope borough; two in the Northwestern Arctic Borough; one in the western Aleutian census region; four in the Bethel census area; two in the Dillingham census area; and one in the Kusilvak census area.
There have also been four cases among non-residents of Alaska, including two in Juneau, one in Unalaska, and one 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.
It is not known how many people who tested positive for the virus showed symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that about a third of people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic.
The statewide test positivity rate on Wednesday was 4.91% on a 7-day average. Health experts say anything over 5% can indicate inadequate testing and potentially widespread community transmission. The condition peaked at more than 9% test positivity in mid-November.
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