Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 112 new cases reported Thursday, no new deaths

Alaska on Thursday reported 112 new COVID-19 cases, all but one involving residents, according to the Department of Health and Social Services COVID-19 dashboard.

No new deaths were reported. In total, 42 Alaskans have died with the virus since the start of the pandemic, with five of those reported last week. Alaska has the nation’s lowest number of COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 people.

The state is dealing with multiple coronavirus outbreaks including one associated with Brother Francis Shelter in Anchorage, where municipal officials on Thursday reported 100 cases — no new cases — but another 27 new positive tests in other shelters for a total of 68.

Eight people have now been hospitalized in association with the outbreak, officials said Thursday. Four are still in the hospital and three have been released. One person has died.

Other outbreaks have been reported at the Anchorage Pioneer Home and McLaughlin Youth Center in Anchorage.

As of Thursday, there were 3,830 active cases among Alaska residents and 692 active cases among nonresidents, according to state data.

Since the virus was first detected here in March, 6,020 Alaskans and 895 nonresidents have tested positive for COVID-19.

Statewide as of Thursday, 39 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 — 11 of them in intensive care — while three other hospital patients were awaiting test results, according to state data. Of Alaska’s 153 intensive care unit beds, 69 were in use.

Of the new cases, it also wasn’t clear how many patients were showing symptoms of the virus when they tested positive.

Of the 111 new resident cases reported Wednesday, 54 were in Anchorage including three in Chugiak and two in Eagle River; one was in Kodiak; 21 were in Fairbanks and five were in North Pole; one was in Palmer and four were in Wasilla; two were in Utqiagvik; eight were in Juneau; one was in Sitka; and one was in Bethel.

Among communities smaller than 1,000 that are not identified to protect resident confidentiality, there were five in Fairbanks North Star Borough, one in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, one in Yukon-Yokukuk Census Area, one in Northwest Arctic Borough, one in the Bethel Census Area, three in Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula boroughs, and one in the Kusilvak Census Area.

The location of the one nonresident case was listed as unknown.

The state’s testing positivity rate as of Thursday was 1.99% over a seven-day rolling average.

— Zaz Hollander