There were 502 new coronavirus infections and none new COVID-19-related deaths reported from Saturday to Monday, according to the state Department of Health and Social Services. The department no longer updates its coronavirus panel over the weekend and will instead include those numbers in Monday’s update.
According to state data, on Monday, 96 cases were recorded between residents and non-residents. The latest case counts follow over a month of steady decline. Alaska saw an outbreak of infections in November and early December that affected the hospital’s capacity before stabilizing.
Alaskan hospitalizations have declined along with the cases and are now less than a third of where they were during the peak in November and December. As of Monday, there were 36 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state, including nine who were on ventilators. Another three patients were considered to have the virus.
The COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Alaska in mid-December. On Monday, 109,187 – more than 15% of Alaska’s total population – received at least their first vaccine injection, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring panel. This is well above the national average of 9.1%.
Among Alaskans aged 16 and over, 19% received at least one dose of the vaccine by Monday. The Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for use in people aged 16 and over, and Moderna has been approved for use in people aged 18 and over.
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 initially filled quickly. Seniors and other qualified health professionals can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 for help making an appointment.
Despite lower numbers throughout January, Alaska is still in the highest alert category based on the current rate of infection per capita, and public health officials continue to encourage Alaskans to monitor personal mitigation efforts. viruses, like washing your hands and wearing masks and social detachment. A highly contagious variant of the virus arrived in Alaska last month.
Of the 89 cases announced on Monday among Alaskan residents, 17 occurred in Anchorage, two more in Chugiak and six in Eagle River; one at Anchor Point; one in Soldotna; two in Fairbanks; 13 in Palmer; 23 in Wasilla; one in Willow; two in Ketchikan; and one in Dillingham.
Among communities with populations under 1,000 unidentified to protect privacy, there were two in the Name Census Area; one in the Northwest Arctic; one in the East Borough of the Aleutians; 14 in the Bethel Census Area; one in Bristol Bay plus the Lake and Peninsula area; and one in the Kusilvak census area.
There were also seven cases among non-Alaskan residents reported on Monday, all in an unidentified region of the state.
The geographical division for Saturday and Sunday numbers was not immediately available.
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.