Wednesday’s case count continues over a month of lower daily numbers. Alaska peaked in November and early December which affected the hospital’s capacity. For the first time since September, the daily case count dropped to double digits twice last week.
Despite the lower numbers in 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 have dropped along 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 Wednesday, there were 40 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state. Two other 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 COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Alaska in mid-December. On Wednesday, 98,265 – about 13% of the Alaskan population – received at least their first injection of vaccine, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring panel. This is well above the national average of 8%.
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 178 cases announced to Alaskan residents on Wednesday, there were 45 in Anchorage and six more in Eagle River; one at Anchor Point; one in Homer; one in Nikiski; two at Seward; one in Soldotna; three in Kodiak; one in Valdez; 14 at Fairbanks; three at the North Pole ;; four in Tok; one on Big Lake; one in Houston; 24 in Palmer; 32 in Wasilla; one in Utqiagvik; one in Douglas; five in Juneau; three in Ketchikan; one in Petersburg; three in Sitka; two in Unalaska and one in Bethel;
Among communities with populations under 1,000 unidentified to protect privacy, there were three cases in the Copper River region; three in the southeast Fairbanks census area; one in the Yukon-Koyukuk census area; two in the Nome Census Area; one in the East Borough of the Aleutians; five in the Bethel Census Area; five in the Dillingham census area and one in the Kusilvak census area.
48 infections were also identified among non-residents, including 23 in Anchorage; one in Kodiak; one at North Slope Borough; 15 in Aleutians East Borough; five in the Aleutian West Census Area and three in unidentified parts 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.
Of the total COVID-19 tests completed across the state last week, 2.37% tested positive.