Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 183 cases and no deaths reported Wednesday

Alaska on Wednesday reported 183 coronavirus infections and no deaths linked to COVID-19, according to data from the Department of Health and Social Services.

A slight increase in the daily case rate since March has somewhat plateaued, state health officials said last week. However, most regions in the state are still in the highest alert category based on their current per capita rate of infection, and health officials continue to encourage Alaskans to wear face coverings in public, avoid large gatherings, wash their hands frequently and get vaccinated against COVID-19 to prevent further spread.

In total, 341 Alaskans and six 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.

By Wednesday, there were 54 people with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in hospitals throughout the state, far below a peak in late 2020 but slightly up compared to recent days.

Alaska in March became the first state in the country to open vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 and older who lives or works in the state. You can visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322 to sign up for a vaccine appointment; new appointments are added regularly. 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.

By Wednesday, 307,274 people — about half of Alaskans eligible for a shot — had received at least their first dose. At least 259,448 people — about 43% of Alaskans 16 and older — were considered fully vaccinated, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring dashboard.

Alaska in January led the country in per capita vaccinations, but has now fallen to 21st place among all 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of the 181 cases reported among Alaska residents on Wednesday, there were 35 in Anchorage plus five in Chugiak and four in Eagle River; 46 in Fairbanks; 30 in Wasilla; 11 in North Pole; nine in Palmer; five in Kenai; four in Soldotna; three in Ketchikan; two in Anchor Point; two in Big Lake; one in Sterling; one in Healy; one in Tok; one in Willow; one in Nome; and one in Juneau.

Among communities smaller than 1,000 people that aren’t named to protect residents’ privacy, there was one in the Chugach Census Area; one in the Copper River Census Area; one in the northern Kenai Peninsula Borough; three in the southern Kenai Peninsula Borough; two in the Fairbanks North Star Borough; one in the Wales-Hyder Census Area; three in the Bethel Census Area; and seven in the Kusilvak Census Area.

There were also two new cases among nonresidents: one in Fairbanks and one in Wrangell.

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.

Of all the tests conducted over the past week, 2.83% came back positive.

— Annie Berman