This month, Alaska became the first state in the country to open vaccine eligibility to anyone aged 16 and over who lives or works in the state. You can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 to register for a vaccine appointment; new appointments are added regularly. The telephone line is open from 9 am to 6:30 pm during the week and from 9 am to 4:30 pm on weekends.
On Wednesday, 201,687 people – about 28% of the Alaskan population – received at least their first vaccine, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring panel. This is above the national average of 22% of the population. At least 139,766 people – about 19% of the state’s population – were considered fully vaccinated.
Although Alaska case and hospital counts remain well below what they were during the peak in November and December, the overall decline in cases has slowed in recent weeks, and several regions of the state are still in the highest alert category based on their current rates of infection rate per capita.
The Matanuska-Susitna neighborhood currently has the highest case rate in the state, with 38.41 cases per 100,000 people – almost four times the state’s “high alert” limit.
Public health officials continue to encourage Alaskans to monitor personal virus mitigation efforts, such as washing their hands, wearing masks, socializing and testing if they are symptomatic or exposed to someone with COVID-19.
As of Wednesday, there were 32 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state, well below a peak in late 2020, but with a slightly upward trend compared to the past few weeks. Another 11 patients had pending test results.
Of the 172 cases identified among Alaskan residents on Wednesday, there were 56 in Anchorage, one more in Chugiak, nine in Eagle River and two in Girdwood; 46 in Wasilla; 13 at Fairbanks; 10 at Delta Junction; nine in Palmer; three at Willow; three in Houston; two at Juneau; two in Soldotna; two on Big Lake; one in Córdoba; one in Kenai; one at Seward; one at the North Pole; one in Petersburg; one at Bethel; one in Dillingham; and one in an unidentified region of the state.
Among the smaller communities not named to protect individuals’ privacy, there were two in the Copper River Census Area; one in the Matanuska-Susitna neighborhood; one in the Name Census Area; one at North Slope Borough; and one in the Bethel Census Area.
Five new cases of non-residents have also been identified: two in the North Slope Borough, one in Prudhoe Bay, one in Anchorage and one 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.