Monday’s case count continues over a month of lower daily numbers. Alaska had a peak in November and early December that caused concern about the hospital’s capacity. For the first time since September, the daily case count dropped to double digits twice last week.
As infections continue to drop in numbers, Anchorage’s incumbent mayor, Austin Quinn-Davidson, announced last week that the city would ease COVID-19 restrictions. A new emergency order is already in place, which will allow more people to enter bars and restaurants and will lower the limits on group size.
Despite lower numbers over January, Alaska is still in the highest alert category based on the current rate of infection per capita.
The seafood industry was again hit by several outbreaks in ships and processing facilities in the Aleutian Islands. Some of the facilities were temporarily closed as soon as the winter fishing season began.
Hospitalizations fell simultaneously with the number of infections and are now less than a third of where they were during the peak in November and December. As of Monday, there were 39 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state. Another four patients were considered to be carriers of the virus and 10 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilation.
Health officials are asking Alaskans to continue to take the pandemic seriously, even as the number of cases declines. Scientists at the state’s public health labs confirmed last week that a highly contagious variant of the virus hit Alaska last month.
The vaccine arrived in Alaska in mid-December. On Monday, 95,881 people – about 13% of the Alaskan population – received at least their first vaccine injection, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring panel. Much above the national average of 7.6%.
Health professionals and employees of nursing homes and residents were the first people prioritized to receive the vaccine. In early January, the state said Alaskans over 65 are now eligible, although nomination slots are limited and filled quickly.
Thousands of new vaccine appointments were posted on the state’s website this week, many of which are still available. Seniors and other qualified healthcare professionals can call 907-646-3322 for assistance in making an appointment in February.
Of the 63 cases announced to Alaskan residents on Monday, there were 25 in Anchorage and three more in Eagle River; one in Kenai; three in Kodiak; three in Fairbanks plus two at the North Pole; 10 in Palmer; three at Sutton-Alpine; nine in Wasilla;
Among communities with populations under 1,000 unidentified to protect privacy, there was one in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area; one in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area; one in the Northwest Arctic; and one in the Bethel Census Area.
Thirty-eight infections have also been identified in non-residents in the state, including 15 in Aleutians East Borough, 11 in Unalaska and 12 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.