Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 102 new cases and no new deaths reported Tuesday

Alaska on Tuesday reported 102 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, 342 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 62 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 Tuesday, 313,859 people — a little over half of all Alaskans eligible for a shot — had received at least their first dose. At least 271,738 people — about 45.2% 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 23rd 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.

Of the 94 cases reported among Alaska residents on Tuesday, there were 18 in Anchorage; 18 in Fairbanks; 15 in Wasilla; seven in North Pole; six in Palmer; three in Kenai; three in Nome; three in Ketchikan; two in Juneau; one in Valdez; one in Seward; one in Soldotna; one in Salcha; one in Delta Junction; one in Big Lake; one in Houston; one in Sutton-Alpine; one in Willow; one in Sitka; and one in Wrangell.

In communities with fewer than 1,000 people not named to protect privacy, there were four cases in the Fairbanks North Star Borough; one in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area; one in the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area; one in the Bethel Census Area; and one in the Kusilvak Census Area.

There were also eight nonresident cases reported Tuesday: three in Sitka; two in Unalaska; one in Fairbanks; and two in locations under investigation.

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, 2.09% came back positive.

— Morgan Krakow