Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 210 cases reported Thursday, no new deaths

The state on Thursday reported 210 new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths, according to the Department of Health and Social Services COVID-19 dashboard.

In total, 68 Alaskans have died with COVID-19 since the pandemic began here in March. The state’s per capita death rate remains among the lowest in the country.

Statewide as of Thursday, 41 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized.

Thursday was the 29th day the state reported triple-digit daily case increases.

Of the new cases, it wasn’t clear how many patients were showing symptoms of the virus when they tested positive. While people might get tested more than once, each case reported by the state health department only represents one person.

The new case numbers include some but not all of the 92 cases in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta announced Wednesday by the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp. That tally included multiple cases in villages around the region, including a total of 110 people in Chevak who tested positive as of Thursday morning. Later Thursday, YKHC reported another 67 cases in the region.

[‘Help turn the tide’: Yukon-Kuskokwim communities grapple with spike in virus cases]

Of the 210 new resident cases of COVID-19 reported by the state Thursday, 55 were in Anchorage, plus two in Chugiak and three in Eagle River; nine were in Kenai, one was in Nikiski and three were in Soldotna; one was in Valdez; five were in Fairbanks; one was in Delta Junction; 22 were in Wasilla and two were in Palmer; two were in Utqiagvik; one was in Kotzebue; three were in Juneau; one was in Skagway; six were in Bethel; and 58 were in Chevak.

Among communities smaller than 1,000 not identified to protect confidentiality, there were 23 in the Bethel Census Area; eight in the Nome Census Area; one in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area; one in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough; one in the North Slope Borough; and one in the Kusilvak Census Area.

There were no new nonresident cases reported Thursday.

The state’s testing positivity rate as of Thursday was 5.22% over a seven-day rolling average.

— Zaz Hollander