Alaska reports 10th death from COVID-19, the first in weeks

A 10th Alaskan has died from COVID-19, the state said Wednesday.

The most recent victim of the infectious disease caused by the coronavirus was an Anchor Point man in his 80s, according to new data published by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.

The man had pre-existing medical conditions, state officials say. He tested positive for the virus at South Peninsula Hospital when he was admitted there and subsequently died.

His case was first reported to the state on April 30 and the onset date was listed as April 28. The man contracted the virus through community spread.

One of the state’s other 10 deaths was also an Anchor Point resident in his 30s who died out of state on March 29. Several of the other people to die from the virus contracted it or died out of state. Six of the state’s COVID-19 victims were people in their 60s or 70s.

A Mat-Su woman in her 30s died April 12 -- the most recent fatality until this week.

There was one new case of COVID-19 reported in Alaska on Wednesday, bringing the total case count to 372, with 284 people considered recovered. The new case was diagnosed in a Tok resident, a woman in her 70s, health officials say. Hers is the first known case of the disease in that community.

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