Alaska case and hospital counts remain well below what they were during the peak in November and December. However, Alaska is experiencing a slight increase in its average daily case rate compared to the past few weeks. Many regions of the state are still in the highest alert category based on the current rate of infection per capita.
“What we are seeing recently is just a small increase in cases,” said Dr. Joe McLaughlin, an epidemiologist in the state health department, during a weekly public information session on Wednesday. “It is not huge, it is not hasty, but it is starting to grow,” he said.
He and other public health officials continue to encourage Alaskans to follow up on personal virus mitigation efforts, such as washing hands, wearing masks, socializing and vaccinating against COVID-19.
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 now 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, 235,452 people – including more than 38% of Alaskans eligible for an injection – received at least their first dose, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring panel. At least 157,816 people – about 27% of Alaskans aged 16 and over – were considered fully vaccinated.
As of Wednesday, there were 36 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state, well below the peak in late 2020. Another patient had outstanding test results.
Of the 207 cases identified among Alaskan residents on Wednesday, there were 100 in Anchorage, six more in Chugiak and six in Eagle River; one in Valdez; three in Kenai; one in Soldotna; one in Healy; two in Fairbanks plus four at the North Pole; three at Delta Junction; one on Big Lake; one in Houston; 11 in Palmer; 35 in Wasilla; one in Willow; three at Juneau; one in Wrangell; one in Unalaska; and one at Bethel.
Among communities with fewer than 1,000 residents who were not appointed to protect privacy, there was one in the Matanuska-Susitna neighborhood and 24 in the Bethel census area.
There were also three new cases of non-residents: one in Anchorage, one in Fairbanks 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.
The average percentage of positive daily tests in the last week was 2.45%.