Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 91 cases and no deaths reported Tuesday

Alaska on Tuesday reported 91 new coronavirus infections and no new deaths related to COVID-19, according to the Department of Health and Social Services.

The new cases were reported the same day that the state opened up vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 and older who lives or works in Alaska.

Although case counts and hospitalizations in Alaska remain far below what they were during the peak in November and December, the overall decline in cases has plateaued in recent weeks, and many regions of the state are still in the highest alert category based on their current per capita rate of infection.

Public health officials continue to encourage Alaskans to keep up with personal virus mitigation efforts like hand-washing, mask-wearing, social distancing and getting tested if symptomatic or exposed to someone with COVID-19.

No new deaths were reported Tuesday. In total, 301 Alaskans and four 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.

By Tuesday, there were 32 people with COVID-19 in hospitals throughout the state, far below a peak in late 2020. Another five patients had test results pending.

The COVID-19 vaccine reached Alaska in mid-December. By Tuesday, 171,749 people — about a quarter of Alaska’s total population — had received at least their first vaccine shot, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring dashboard. That’s above the national average of 18%. At least 119,631 people had received both doses of the vaccine.

Visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 to sign up for a vaccine appointment. The phone line is staffed 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends.

Of the 90 cases identified among Alaska residents Tuesday, there were 23 in Anchorage plus three in Chugiak and two in Eagle River; one in Homer; one in Kenai; one in Soldotna; five in Fairbanks; one in North Pole; five in Palmer; 22 in Wasilla; two in Willow; two in Utqiagvik; one in Juneau; two in Petersburg; and two in Bethel.

Among communities smaller than 1,000 not named to protect individuals’ privacy, there were three in the Copper River Census Area; one in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area; and 11 in the Bethel Census Area.

There were also one new nonresident case in Kotzebue.

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.

— Annie Berman