Although the case count and hospitalizations in Alaska remain well below what they were during the peak in November and December, the overall decline in cases has stabilized in recent weeks, and many regions of the state are still in the highest alert category based on its current rate of infection rate per capita.
Public health officials continue to encourage Alaskans to follow up on personal virus mitigation efforts, such as washing hands, wearing masks, socializing and getting tested if you are symptomatic or exposed to someone with COVID-19.
As of Tuesday, there were 32 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state, well below the peak in late 2020. Another five patients had pending test results.
The COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Alaska in mid-December. On Tuesday, 171,749 people – about a quarter of Alaska’s total population – received at least their first vaccine injection, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring panel. This is above the national average of 18%. At least 119,631 people received both doses of the vaccine.
Visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 to register for a vaccine appointment. 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.
Of the 90 cases identified among Alaskan residents on Tuesday, there were 23 in Anchorage, three more in Chugiak and two in Eagle River; one in Homer; one in Kenai; one in Soldotna; five in Fairbanks; one at the North Pole; five in Palmer; 22 in Wasilla; two at Willow; two in Utqiagvik; one in Juneau; two in Petersburg; and two at Bethel.
Among communities under 1,000 that were not named to protect individuals’ privacy, there were three in the Copper River Census Area; one in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area; and 11 in the Bethel Census Area.
There was also a new case of non-resident in Kotzebue.
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.