Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 41 cases and no deaths reported Friday

Alaska on Friday reported 41 new coronavirus infections and no deaths linked to COVID-19, according to the Department of Health and Social Services.

Alaska’s average daily case counts are now trending down significantly statewide. The state last week went from a high alert level to an intermediate alert level for the first time since September, indicating less spread and fewer cases overall, though a couple regions remain at a high alert level due to higher case rates.

Anyone 12 and older who lives or works in Alaska can now receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Alaskans can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 to sign up for a vaccine appointment, and new appointments are added regularly. The phone line is staffed from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends.

Only Pfizer’s vaccine is approved for children as young as 12; the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved only for those 18 and older.

By Friday, at least 316,272 people — 52% of Alaskans 12 and older — had received at least their first dose of vaccine. At least 278,027 people — 46% of eligible Alaskans — were considered fully vaccinated, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring dashboard.

Also by Friday, there were 17 people with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in hospitals throughout the state, far below a peak in late 2020.

In total, 362 Alaskans and seven 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, though the state’s size, health care system and other factors complicate national comparisons.

Of the 40 cases reported among Alaska residents Friday, there were 10 in Anchorage, one in Eagle River, one in Kenai, one in Kodiak, three in Fairbanks, three in Tok, four in Wasilla, three in Willow, two in Utqiagvik, four in Juneau, two in Ketchikan, one in Metlakatla, one in Unalaska, and one in Chevak.

Among smaller communities not named to protect privacy, there was one in the Prince of Wales and Hyder Census Area, one in the Bethel Census Area, and one in the Kusilvak Census Area.

One new nonresident case in an unidentified region of the state was also reported.

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.

Note: The state no longer updates its coronavirus dashboard over the weekend, and will instead include that data in Tuesday’s report after the Memorial Day holiday.

— Annie Berman