Alaska this month became the first state in the country to be eligible for vaccine for anyone 16 years and older living or working in the state. You can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 to sign up for a vaccine appointment; new appointments are added regularly. The telephone line is manned on weekdays from 09:00 to 18:30 and on weekends from 09:00 to 16:30.
By Wednesday, 201,687 people – about 28% of Alaska’s population – had received at least their first vaccine shot, according to the state vaccine monitoring panel. This is above the national average of 22% of the population. At least 139,766 people – about 19% of the state population – are considered fully vaccinated.
Although the number of cases and hospitalizations in Alaska remains much lower than it was during the peak in November and December, the overall decline in cases has slowed over the past week, and several regions of the state are still in the highest alert category based on their current infection rate per capita.
The Matanuska-Susitna district currently has the highest number of cases in the state, with 38.41 cases per 100,000 people – almost four times the state’s “high warning” threshold.
Public health officials continue to encourage Alaskans to keep up with personal virus mitigation efforts such as hand washing, mask wear, social distance and to be tested if it is symptomatic or exposed to someone with COVID-19.
By Wednesday, there were 32 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state, well below a peak at the end of 2020, but slightly higher than in recent weeks. Another 11 patients had test results pending.
Of the 172 cases identified among Alaska residents Wednesday were 56 in Anchorage, plus one in Chugiak, nine in Eagle River and two in Girdwood; 46 in Wasilla; 13 in Fairbanks; 10 in Delta Junction; nine in Palmer; three in Willow; three in Houston; two in Juneau; two in Soldotna; two in Big Lake; one in Cordova; one in Kenai; one in Seward; one in the North Pole; one in Petersburg; one in Bethel; one in Dillingham; and one in an unidentified region of the state.
Among smaller communities that do not protect privacy, there were two in the Copper River Census area; one in the Matanuska-Susitna district; one in the Nome census area; one in the Noordhellingstad; and one in the Bethel census area.
Five new non-resident cases have also been identified: two in the northern slope city, one in Prudhoe Bay, one in Anchorage and one 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.