According to the State Department of Health and Human Services, Alaska reported 239 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday.
No new deaths were reported Sunday.
The new infections follow a trend of cases over the past few weeks. Health officials have cautiously expressed optimism about the downward trend, though they are concerned that holiday travel and gatherings could lead to a further increase in the number of cases.
Alaska experienced a record high number of cases and COVID-19 deaths in November and early December. The number of hospitalizations associated with COVID-19 also increased, prompting Anchorage to go into a month-long phase of starvation during December, after which fewer infections were reported. Restaurants and bars have let down the biggest restrictions as indoor dining has been banned. The businesses were allowed to restart for dinner from January 1, although this is limited to capacity.
By Sunday, virus-related hospitalizations were underway and hospitals across the country were less than 75%.
Seventy-four people with COVID-19 were in the hospital on Sunday and it is suspected that another 13 people in the hospital had the virus, the health department said.
A total of 214 Alaskans and one non-resident with COVID-19 have died since the pandemic hit the state in March. Alaska’s overall death toll per capita is among the lowest in the country, but officials believe the state’s large geography and vulnerable health care system make it difficult to compare with other states.
The initial doses of the vaccine reached Alaska in mid-December, and hospital workers, emergency personnel, and residents and staff at long-term care facilities were the first groups to be vaccinated. Alaskans who are 65 years and older receive the vaccinations, although the vaccinations are likely to begin by the end of the month.
Of the 232 new infections reported Sunday in Alaska residents, 39 were in Anchorage, one in Chugiak and six in Eagle River; one was in Seward; two were in Kodiak; a wax in Cordova; eight were in Fairbanks and one in the North Pole; one was in Big Lake, five in Palmer, one in Sutton-Alpine and 27 in Wasilla; four were in Utquagivk; one was in Sitka; and 26 were in Bethel.
Among communities smaller than 1,000 people not named for privacy, there were two in the Matanuska-Susitna district; the one was in the Nome census area; one was in the North Slope City; 84 were in the Bethel census area; and 20 were in the Kusilvak census area.
According to Sunday, seven non-residents were reported to have had the virus, including one in Anchorage, four in Unalaska and one person with the place being investigated.
Although people can be tested more than once, each case reported by the state health department represents only one person.
It is not clear how many people who tested positive for the virus show symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about a third of people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic.
The positive percentage of the global test on Sunday was 5.14% above an average of seven days. Health officials say anything above 5% could indicate inadequate testing and widespread community transmission. The state peaked at more than 9% in November.