Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 34 cases and no deaths reported Wednesday

Alaska on Wednesday reported 34 new coronavirus infections and no deaths linked to COVID-19, according to the state Department of Health and Social Services.

Alaska’s average daily case counts are now trending down significantly statewide. The state last month 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 visits, 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 Wednesday, at least 319,451 people — 53% of Alaskans 12 and older — had received at least their first dose of vaccine. At least 280,587 people — about 46% of eligible Alaskans — were considered fully vaccinated, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring dashboard.

Also by Wednesday, there were 22 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 32 cases reported among Alaska residents Wednesday, there were five in Anchorage; one in Homer; one in Nikiski; two in Fairbanks; three in North Pole; two in Salcha; two in Tok; one in Big Lake; two in Palmer; three in Wasilla; four in Juneau; three in Ketchikan and one in Sitka.

Among smaller communities not named to protect privacy, there were two in the Prince of Wales and Hyder Census Area.

Two new nonresident cases were reported in Kodiak and Juneau.

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.

- Morgan Krakow