Alaska on Friday reported one new death and 162 new cases of COVID-19 statewide, according the Department of Health and Social Services.
While the state’s coronavirus data dashboard was not updated on Christmas Day, the department sent out a statement chronicling recent cases and deaths in the state.
A man from the Matanuska-Sustina Borough in his 60s was the 199th Alaskan with COVID-19 to die in the state. The state so far has seen 200 deaths from the virus, including one non-resident.
The 162 cases in Alaska recorded Friday appear to be part of a continued decline in cases compared with a major surge in cases over the past several weeks that has so far driven up the number of deaths and strained hospitals statewide.
Officials are urging everyone to reduce their holiday gatherings this season and limit the number of people they celebrate with to only their immediate household. Though hospitals can currently handle the number of patients, they continue to be strained and case counts will need to continue their decline in order to decrease that strain, health officials said this week.
Of the 152 cases reported among Alaska residents Friday, 50 were in Anchorage; nine were in Eagle River; 17 were in Kodiak, 14 were in Fairbanks; five were in North Pole; 11 were in Palmer; nine were in Bethel; six were in Kenai; four were in Homer; three were in Soldtona; two were in Seward, four were in Juneau; six were in Wasilla; two were in Unalaska; as well as one case each in Chugiak; Delta Junction; Dillingham; Kotzebue, Nikiski and Utqiagvik, health officials wrote.
Among communities smaller than 1,000 people not named to protect privacy, there was on case reported in the Bethel Census Area; one in the Kenai Peninsula Borough; one in the Kodiak Island Borough; one in the Municipality of Anchorage and one in the North Slope Borough.
There were also ten cases among nonresidents in Alaska, including four people in the mining industry in the Northwest Arctic Borough; three people in Unalaska; one person in Anchorage; one person in the mining industry in Southeast Alaska as well as one person whose location was still under investigation.
While people might get tested more than once, each case reported by the state health department represents only one person.
It is not clear how many of the people who tested positive for the virus were showing symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about a third of people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic
While there is no COVID-19 testing available at Anchorage’s free testing sites on Christmas day, several locations will have testing available over the holiday weekend and early next week.