Monday’s case still counts a trend of declining infection numbers to a peak in November and early December, which has raised officials’ concerns about the hospital’s capacity. Monday’s business was the first time since September that the daily score had dropped below 100: on September 22, there were 56 cases.
Despite the declining number of cases, Alaska remains in the highest alert category based on the current per capita infection rate.
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 Monday, there were 53 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state. Another the patient was suspected of having the virus. Seven COVID-positive people were on fans.
The vaccine reached Alaska in mid-December, and by Monday, 80,300 people had been vaccinated, according to the state vaccine monitoring panel. Nearly 18,000 received both doses of the vaccine. According to a national tracker, Alaska currently has vaccinated more residents per capita than any other state.
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.
Officials also announced Monday that new vaccination for the month of February will begin on the vaccination website (covidvax.alaska.gov) from the state.
Most of the slots will open live at noon, Tessa Walker Linderman said, while some will be released earlier and later in the day.
The number of available appointments will depend on the amount of vaccine the state receives in February, something the state is expected to know Tuesday, and is likely to be reserved for adults 65 and older. The new appointments begin on February 4th.
Government officials told reporters on Monday that vaccination had been given to about a third of the elderly, a group particularly susceptible to serious illnesses due to the virus.
For more information on vaccinations, visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 and leave a message. According to a survey, calls will be returned within 48 hours, but some users have reported longer delays. Government officials said these calls would be answered directly later this week.
Of the 83 cases reported Monday in Alaska residents, 45 were in Anchorage plus six in Chugiak and four in Eagle River; one in Homer; one in Soldotna; one in Kodiak; three in Fairbanks and three in the North Pole; one in Palmer; two in Sutton-Alpine; four in Wasilla; one in Kotzebue; one in Juneau; and three in Bethel.
Among communities with a population below 1,000 that were not named for privacy protection, there were six in the Northwest North Pole area and one in the Bethel census area.
One case was reported to a non-resident 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, 2.93% of all tests completed across the country returned positive.