Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 138 cases and no deaths reported Tuesday

Alaska on Tuesday reported 138 coronavirus infections and no deaths linked to COVID-19, according to data from the Department of Health and Social Services.

A slight increase in the daily case rate since March has somewhat plateaued, state health officials said last week. However, most regions in the state are still in the highest alert category based on their current per capita rate of infection, and 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.

[Vaccinated Americans can go maskless outdoors except in a crowd, CDC says in updated guidelines]

In total, 341 Alaskans and six 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.

By Tuesday, there were 42 people with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in hospitals throughout the state, far below a peak in late 2020.

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 Tuesday, 304,613 people — about 49% of Alaskans eligible for a shot — had received at least their first dose. At least 255,604 people — about 43% of Alaskans 16 and older — were considered fully vaccinated, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring dashboard.

Alaska in January led the country in per capita vaccinations, but has now fallen to 21st place among all 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of the 130 cases reported among Alaska residents on Tuesday, there were 19 in Anchorage plus one in Chugiak; 40 in Fairbanks; 24 in Wasilla; 20 in North Pole; five in Palmer; two in Kenai; two in Ketchikan; one in Homer; one in Delta Junction; one in Big Lake; one in Nome; one in Utqiagvik; and one in Juneau.

Among communities smaller than 1,000 people that aren’t named to protect residents’ privacy, there were 11 in the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

There were also eight new cases among nonresidents: four in Fairbanks, one in Anchorage, 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 past week, 2.8% came back positive.

— Annie Berman