Alaska reports 428 COVID-19 cases over the weekend, no deaths

Alaska on Monday reported 428 new COVID-19 cases Friday, Saturday and Sunday and no new deaths as hospitalizations dropped slightly.

Since the pandemic arrived in Alaska in March 2020, 915 Alaskans and 31 nonresidents in the state have died from the virus.

As of Monday, 65 COVID-positive people were hospitalized across Alaska, according to state data. The percentage of hospitalizations involving people who have tested positive for the virus is 6.7%. The state reported 67 people hospitalized with the virus as of Friday.

Just over 67% of Alaskans 5 and older as well as military members have received at least one vaccine dose, while 60% of eligible Alaskans are considered fully vaccinated. About 20% have received a booster shot.

As the new omicron variant prompts global concerns and contributes to a surge in New York, state health officials continue to encourage vaccinations and booster shots as the best way to protect against serious illness from COVID-19. Alaska’s first and only omicron case was identified last week, though officials expect more cases to emerge.

Case counts and hospitalizations have been significantly lower so far this month than during the state’s most recent surge, which peaked in the fall and was driven by the highly contagious delta variant. Other states, however, are seeing surging case counts and crowded hospitals.

Alaska’s new-case rate over a seven-day period was 36th in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The state’s recent death rate was third lowest in the country.

The case tally reported Monday includes 422 residents and six residents.