There were 502 new coronavirus infections and no new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported Saturday to Monday, according to the state Department of Health and Social Services. The department is no longer updating its coronavirus dashboard this weekend and would rather include the numbers in Monday’s update.
According to state data, 96 cases were reported among residents and non-residents on Monday. The latest number of cases follows more than a month with gradually declining cases. Alaska experienced a surge of infections in November and early December that hampered the capacity of the hospital before expanding.
Hospitalizations in Alaska have declined along with cases and are now less than a third of the places where they were during the peak in November and December. By Monday, there were 36 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state, including nine who were on ventilators. It is believed that three more patients have the virus.
The COVID-19 vaccine reached Alaska in mid-December. By Monday, 109,187 – more than 15% of Alaska’s total population – had received at least their first vaccine shot, according to the state vaccine monitoring panel. This is well above the national average of 9.1%.
Among Alaska 16s and older, 19% received at least one dose of vaccine by Monday. The Pfizer vaccine is approved for use in people 16 years and older, and Moderna’s has been cleared for use in people 18 and older.
Healthcare workers and nursing home staff and residents were the first people to receive the vaccine. In early January, the state said Alaskans over the age of 65 are now eligible, although appointment slots are limited and initially filled quickly. Elderly and other eligible health care professionals can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 for help making an appointment.
Despite the small numbers during January, Alaska is still in the highest alert category based on the current infection rate per capita, and public health officials are urging Alaskans to continue to pursue personal virus mitigation efforts such as hand washing, masking. and social distance. An extremely contagious variant of the virus reached Alaska last month.
Of the 89 cases announced Monday among Alaska residents, 17 were in Anchorage plus two in Chugiak and six in Eagle River; one in Anchor Point; one in Soldotna; two in Fairbanks; 13 in Palmer; 23 in Wasilla; one in Willow; two in Ketchikan; and one in Dillingham.
Among communities with a population below 1,000 not named for privacy, there were two in the Nome census area; one in the Northwest Arctic District; one in the Eastern District of Aleutians; 14 in the Bethel census area; one in the Bristol Bay plus the lake and peninsula area; and one in the Kusilvak census area.
There were also seven cases among non-residents in Alaska reported Monday, all in an unidentified region of the state.
The geographical breakdown for the numbers on Saturday and Sunday was not immediately available.
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.