Friday’s count continues to see a trend of declining infection rates to a peak in November and early December, leaving officials worried about the hospital’s capacity. Twice this week, the daily number of cases fell in double digits for the first time since September.
In response to the declining number of announcements, the acting mayor of Anchorage, Austin Quinn-Davidson, announced this week that the city will soon relax its COVID-19 restrictions under a new emergency order allowing more people into pubs and restaurants, and the restrictions on the collection of sizes and organized sports.
Emergency Order 18 takes effect Monday at 8 a.m. and will remain in place until revoked, Quinn-Davidson said Thursday.
Despite declining cases in general, Alaska remains in the highest alert category based on the current per capita infection rate. And the number of cases remains high and increasing in Western Alaska, where some towns have experienced significant outbreaks.
Hospitalizations have also continued to decline and are now less than a third of where they were during the state peak in November and December. By Friday, there were 43 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state, and five patients suspected of having the virus. Ten COVID-positive patients were on ventilators.
The vaccine reached Alaska in mid-December. By Friday 90,777 people – about 12% of Alaska’s population – have been vaccinated, according to the State Vaccine Monitoring Panel. This is almost twice the national average of 7.2%.
Healthcare workers and nursing home staff and residents were the first people to receive the vaccination. In early January, the state said that adults older than 65 are now eligible, although appointment slots are limited and filled quickly.
Of the 176 cases reported among Alaska residents Friday, there were 67 in Anchorage plus three in Chugiak and five in Eagle River; one in Homer; one in Seward; two in Soldotna; three in Kodiak; one in Cordova; one in Healy; 12 in Fairbanks plus two in the North Pole; one in Tok; seven in Palmer; two in Sutton-Alpine; 25 in Wasilla; one in Utqiagvik; 17 in Juneau; two in Ketchikan; one in Sitka; one in Hoonah-Angoon; three in Unalaska; and eight in Bethel.
Among communities with a population below 1,000 not named for privacy, there were two in the Matanuska-Susitna district; three in the Bethel census area; and five in the Kusilvak census area.
Eight non-residents also tested positive: one in Anchorage, one in Unalaska and six in an unknown region of the state.
Although people can be tested more than once, each case reported by the state health department represents only one person.
The state’s data does not determine whether people who are positive for COVID-19 have symptoms. According to CDC estimates, more than half of the country’s infections are transmitted by asymptomatic people.
In the past week, 2.72% of all tests completed across the country returned positive.