Alaska’s death toll per capita is still among the lowest in the country, but the state’s size and vulnerable health care system make national comparisons difficult.
Cases of Coronavirus have been steadily declining over the past few months following a surge of infections in November and early December that limited the capacity of the hospital.
Hospitalizations in Alaska have declined along with cases and are now less than a quarter of what they were during the peak in November and December.
By Thursday, there were 33 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state, including three who were on ventilators. It was suspected that four more patients had the virus.
The COVID-19 vaccine reached Alaska in mid-December. According to Thursday, 133,221 people – nearly 18% of Alaska’s total population – received at least their first vaccine shot, according to the state panel for vaccine monitoring. This is well above the national average of 12.1%.
About 1 in 4 Alaska ages 16 and older received at least one dose of vaccine by Thursday. The Pfizer vaccine is approved for use by people 16 years and older, and Moderna’s has been cleared for use by people 18 and older.
Healthcare workers and nursing home staff and residents were the first people to receive the vaccine. Alaskans older than 65 were eligible in early January, and the state last week further extended admission requirements to educators, people 50 and older with high-risk medical conditions, essential workers 50 and older and people living in congregations. living or working institutions such as shelters and prisons.
Those eligible to receive the vaccine can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 – the number is on weekdays 9 am-6:30pm and weekends 9 am-4:30pm; to log in and to confirm competency.
Despite the small print, public health officials continue to encourage Alaskans to keep up with personal virus mitigation efforts such as hand washing, wearing masks and social distances. An extremely contagious variant of the virus reached Alaska in December.
Of the 209 cases reported Thursday among Alaska residents, 47 were in Anchorage plus two in Chugiak, nine in Eagle River and one in Girdwood; three in Kenai; one in Nikiski; two in Seward; two in Soldotna; one in Healy; 16 in Fairbanks; six in the North Pole; one in Tok; four in Big Lake; 20 in Palmer; two in Sutton-Alpine; 57 in Wasilla; one in Utqiagvik; 10 in Ketchikan; one in Petersburg; and one in Sitka.
Among the communities with populations under 1,000 not named for privacy, there were two in the Fairbanks North Star Borough; one in the Yukon-Koyukuk census area; one in the Nome census area; 15 in the Bethel census area; and three in the Kusilvak census area.
Four cases were also identified among non-residents in the Aleutians East Borough.
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.
Of the 24,884 tests done in the past seven days, 2.27% returned positive.