Monday’s case count continues a downward trend in the number of infections, after a peak in November and early December, which caused concern about the hospital’s capacity. Monday’s cases marked the first time since September that the daily count dropped to less than 100: on September 22, there were 56 cases.
Still, despite declining case numbers, Alaska remains in the highest alert category based on its current infection rate per capita.
Hospitalizations also continued to fall, and are now less than a third from where they were during the state’s peak in November and December. As of Monday, there were 53 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state. Another patient was suspected of having the virus. Seven COVID-positive people used fans.
The vaccine arrived in Alaska in mid-December and by Monday, 80,300 people had been vaccinated, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring panel. Nearly 18,000 received both doses of the vaccination. Alaska currently vaccinated more residents per capita than any other state, according to a national tracker.
Health professionals, nursing home staff and residents were the first people to receive the vaccination. In early January, the state said adults over 65 were now eligible, although the hours available were limited and filled quickly.
Officials also announced on Monday that new vaccination appointments for the month of February would go live on the state’s vaccination website (covidvax.alaska.gov) starting on Thursday.
Most of these slots will open at noon, said Tessa Walker Linderman, while some will be launched sooner or later in the day.
The number of consultations available will depend on how much vaccine the state will receive in February, something the state expects to know by Tuesday, and will likely be reserved for adults 65 and older. The new appointments will begin on February 4.
State officials told reporters on Monday that vaccination was given to about a third of the elderly, a group particularly susceptible to serious illnesses caused by the virus.
For more information on vaccination appointments, visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 and leave a message. A recording says that calls will be returned in the order they were received within 48 hours, but some users have reported longer delays. State officials said that as of the end of this week, these calls will be answered live.
Of the 83 cases reported in Alaskan residents on Monday, 45 were in Anchorage, six more in Chugiak and four in Eagle River; one in Homer; one in Soldotna; one in Kodiak; three in Fairbanks and three at the North Pole; one in Palmer; two at Sutton-Alpine; four in Wasilla; one in Kotzebue; one in Juneau; and three at Bethel.
Among communities with populations under 1,000 unnamed to protect privacy, there were six in the Northwest Arctic Borough and one in the Bethel Census Area.
One case was reported in a non-resident in an unidentified region of the state.
Although people can be tested more than once, each case reported by the state health department represents only one person.
State data does not specify whether people who test positive for COVID-19 have symptoms. More than half of the country’s infections are transmitted by asymptomatic people, according to CDC estimates.
Last week, 2.93% of all tests completed across the state were positive.