No new deaths were reported Sunday. A total of 223 Alaskans and one non-resident with COVID-19 have died since the pandemic reached the state in March. Alaska’s per capita mortality rate is among the lowest in the country, although the state’s size and vulnerable health care system make national comparisons difficult.
By Sunday, 76 people with COVID-19 had been admitted to the hospital and presumably another six people in the hospitals had the virus.
The state’s daily number of cases has dropped significantly in recent weeks after the state experienced a boom in November and early December. Although the infections decreased, health officials continued to express concern about an increase in cases after the holidays. The warning level across the country is still high.
Vaccines reach Alaska in mid-December and by Friday, 25,058 people had received the first dose of the vaccine, according to the state vaccine monitoring panel. Healthcare workers and adults over the age of 65 are now eligible for vaccination, although appointments are limited and completed quickly when the schedule window opens on Wednesday.
Vaccinations for vaccines are made at covidvax.alaska.gov or by calling 907-646-3322, leaving a message and waiting for a call back from an operator.
Of the 251 new cases reported Sunday in Alaska residents, 85 were in Anchorage, one in Chugiak and four in Eagle River; one was in Homer, one in Kenai, one in Nikiski, one in Seward, three in Soldotna and two in Sterling; seven were in Kodiak; two were in Cordova; 25 were in Fairbanks and four in the North Pole; eight were in Palmer, 40 in Wasilla and one in Willow; a wax in Kotzebue; two were in Juneau; a wax in Ketchikan; one was in Sitka; three were in Unalaska; and 11 were in Bethel.
Among communities of less than 1,000 people not named for privacy, there was one case in the northern Kenai Peninsula district and two in the southern part of the city; two were in the Fairbanks North Star Borough; two were in the Yukon-Koyukuk census area; 14 was in the North Slope City; three were in the Northwest North Pole area; 18 were in the Bethel census area; and three were in the Kusilvak census area.
Six cases were reported to foreigners on Sunday, including three in Anchorage, one in Eagle River, one in Wasilla and one case in a location that has yet to be determined.
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.
The positive percentage worldwide was 4.49% on Sunday above a seven-day average. Health officials say anything above 5% could indicate inadequate testing and widespread community transmission. The state peaked at more than 9% in November.