Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 184 new infections and 1 death reported Thursday

Alaska on Thursday reported 184 new COVID-19 infections and one coronavirus-related death, according to the state Department of Health and Social Services.

The person who died was a female North Pole resident in her 40s, state health officials said. In total, 260 Alaskans and two nonresidents with COVID-19 have died since the pandemic reached the state in March. Alaska’s death rate per capita is still among the lowest in the country, but the state’s size and vulnerable health care system complicate national comparisons.

Thursday’s case count continues a trend of declining infection numbers after a peak in November and early December that caused officials to worry about hospital capacity. For two days this week, the daily case count fell into the double digits for the first time since September.

Reduced community transmission of COVID-19 allowed commanders to rescind a public health emergency in place on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson since November, effective 5 a.m. Friday. Officials also credited “maintained medical capability and sufficient testing capacity,” according to a statement Thursday.

[Anchorage will further ease COVID-19 restrictions, allowing more people in bars and restaurants]

The base in Anchorage will transition to a less restrictive condition that allows visitors to return, private gatherings of up to three family groups indoors and five family groups outdoors, and indoor and outdoor gathering limits changed to a maximum of 25 people.

Many mitigation measures remain in place including Department of Defense mask directives, physical distancing, sanitation and hygiene practices, officials said. Commanders will also continue to use shift-based and flexible schedules and maximize telework when possible.

Despite decreasing case numbers generally, Alaska remains in the highest alert category based on its current per capita rate of infection. And case numbers remain high and increasing in Western Alaska, where some villages have experienced significant outbreaks.

In a seven-day period ending last Friday, the largest average daily case rate increase was seen in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region, from 136.3 to 155.8, according to a weekly state summary. A smaller increase was seen in Juneau, from 7.8 to 11.8.

As of Thursday, most of the state remained at a high alert level. The Kenai Peninsula Borough, City and Borough of Juneau and northern Southeast region were at an intermediate alert level, while the southern Southeast region has fallen to a low alert level.

Hospitalizations have also continued to fall, and are now less than a third of where they were during the state’s peak in November and December. By Thursday, there were 41 people with COVID-19 in hospitals throughout the state, and one patient suspected of having the virus. Five COVID-positive patients were on ventilators.

The vaccine reached Alaska in mid-December. By Thursday, 87,707 people — about 12% of Alaska’s population — had been vaccinated, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring dashboard. At least 22,692 people had received both doses of the vaccination. Alaska has currently vaccinated more residents per capita than any other state, according to a national tracker.

Health care workers and nursing home staff and residents were the first people to receive the vaccination. In early January, the state said adults older than 65 were now eligible, although appointment slots are limited and have filled quickly.

The state had announced that thousands of new vaccine appointments would go live on the state’s vaccination website on Thursday at noon, and that seniors and other eligible health care workers could call 907-646-3322 for assistance making a February appointment.

That number was immediately overwhelmed. By 12:15 p.m., a call to the hotline received a busy signal on the other end.

During a call with reporters later on Thursday, Tessa Walker Linderman, the state co-lead on Alaska’s vaccine task force, said the problem had been solved quickly.

“As we anticipated, we got a big influx of calls (at noon),” she said. “People would call, and they would just get a busy signal.”

By 12:45 p.m., the number was back online. Alaskans can still visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call that hotline, 907-646-3322, to receive assistance making an appointment.

Mass vaccination clinics, like a walk-up clinic offered by the Anchorage School District on Feb. 11, 12 and 13, will continue to be announced throughout the month, health officials said.

Of the 178 cases reported among Alaska residents on Thursday, there were 44 in Anchorage plus one in Chugiak and three in Eagle River; three in Homer, two in Kenai, two in Seward and one in Soldotna; one in Kodiak; one in Cordova; 19 in Fairbanks and six in North Pole; one in Big Lake, one in Sutton-Alpine, 13 in Wasilla and one in Willow; one in Douglas and one in Juneau; two in Ketchikan; one in Sitka; five in Unalaska; and eight in Bethel.

Among communities with populations under 1,000 people not named to protect privacy, there was one in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, four in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, one in the North Slope Borough, one in the Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon region, six in the Aleutians East Borough, 38 in the Bethel Census Area, four in the Dillingham Census Area and six in the Kusilvak Census Area.

Six nonresidents also tested positive: one in Anchorage, one in Fairbanks, one in the Aleutians East Borough and three in Unalaska.

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.

Over the past week, 2.87% of all tests completed statewide came back positive.

— Zaz Hollander and Annie Berman