Tracking COVID-19 in Alaska: 161 cases and no deaths reported Thursday

Alaska on Thursday reported 161 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. 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 Thursday, 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.

By Thursday, 308,040 people — about half of all Alaskans eligible for a shot — had received at least their first dose. At least 261,074 people — about 44% of Alaskans 16 and older — were considered fully vaccinated, according to the state’s vaccine monitoring dashboard.

[Alaska’s COVID-19 vaccine pace has slowed as infections and hospitalizations rise in least-vaccinated regions]

Alaska in January led the country in per capita vaccinations, but has now fallen to 22nd place among all 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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.

Of the 158 cases reported among Alaska residents on Thursday, there were 49 in Anchorage plus six in Eagle River; 34 in Fairbanks; 20 in Wasilla; 16 in North Pole; nine in Palmer; four in Soldotna; two in Kodiak; two in Ketchikan; one in Kenai; one in Seward; one in Sterling; one in Delta Junction; one in Houston; one in Utqiagvik; one in Juneau; one in Unalaska; and one in Chevak.

Among communities smaller than 1,000 people that aren’t named to protect residents’ privacy, there were two in the Fairbanks North Star Borough; one in the Prince of Wales and Hyder Census Area; one in the Aleutians East Borough; one in the Bethel Census Area; and two in the Kusilvak Census Area.

There were also three new cases among nonresidents: one in Wasilla, one in Juneau and one in an unidentified region of the state.

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, 2.8% came back positive.

— Annie Berman