Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 449 cases and no deaths reported Saturday through Monday

Alaska reported 449 coronavirus infections and no COVID-19-related deaths Saturday through Monday, according to data from the Department of Health and Social Services. The state no longer updates its coronavirus dashboard over the weekend and instead includes that data in Monday’s report.

Although case counts and hospitalizations in Alaska remain below what they were during a peak in November and December, most regions in the state are still in the highest alert category based on their current per capita rate of infection.

Health officials continue to encourage Alaskans to wear face coverings in public, avoid large gatherings, wash their hands frequently and get vaccinated against COVID-19 to prevent further spread.

In total, 329 Alaskans and five nonresidents with COVID-19 have died since the pandemic reached the state last spring. Alaska’s death rate per capita remains among the lowest in the country.

Alaska in March became the first state in the country to open vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 and older who lives or works in the state. You can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 to sign up for a vaccine appointment; new appointments are added regularly. The phone line is staffed 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends.

By Monday, 293,739 people — about 48% of Alaskans eligible for a shot — had received at least their first dose. At least 239,930 people — about 40% of Alaskans 16 and older — were considered fully vaccinated, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring dashboard.

By Monday, there were 39 people with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in hospitals throughout the state, far below a peak in late 2020 but part of a slight increase over the last few weeks.

Of the 432 cases reported among Alaska residents over the weekend, there were 129 in Anchorage, 81 in Wasilla, 47 in Palmer, 39 in Fairbanks, 17 in Soldotna, 15 in Eagle River, 13 in Juneau, 13 in North Pole, 10 in Kenai, seven in Chugiak, seven in Homer, six in Delta Junction, five in Petersburg, five in Seward, five in Valdez, four in Wrangell, three in Kodiak, three in Sterling, three in Big Lake, two in Nikiski, two in Sitka, and one each in Anchor Point, Bethel, Houston, Kotzebue, and Utqiaġvik.

Among communities smaller than 1,000 people that aren’t named to protect residents’ privacy, there were two in the Denali Borough, and one each in the Copper River Census Area, the Dillingham Census Area, the Kenai Peninsula Borough North, the North Slope Borough, and the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area.

There were also 17 new cases among nonresidents: seven in Fairbanks, three in Anchorage, two in Unalaska, one in Kodiak, one in a smaller community in the Mat-Su, one in Wasilla, and two in unidentified regions of the state.

While people might get tested more than once, each case reported by the state health department represents only one person.

The state’s data doesn’t specify whether people testing positive for COVID-19 have symptoms. More than half of the nation’s infections are transmitted from asymptomatic people, according to CDC estimates.

Of all the tests conducted over the last week, 2.83% came back positive.

— Annie Berman