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

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

Alaska’s average daily case counts have begun to decline again statewide. 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.

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 Friday, there were 53 people with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in hospitals throughout the state, far below a peak in late 2020 but slightly up compared to recent days.

Also by Friday, 308,957 people — about half of all Alaskans eligible for a shot — had received at least their first dose. At least 263,324 people — about 44% 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 22nd place among all 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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.

A geographic breakdown of the cases was not immediately available.

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, 2.63% came back positive.

Note: The state no longer updates its coronavirus dashboard over the weekend, and instead will include those numbers in Monday’s report.

— Annie Berman