1 new death, 162 new COVID-19 cases in Alaska on Christmas day

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Department of Health and Social Services is reporting one new death and 162 new COVID-19 cases in Alaska on Friday. The information was sent in a daily case email but the cases will not be updated on the state’s COVID-19 dashboard on Christmas day.

In the email, DHSS said the new death was recent and in a Matanuska-Susitna Borough man in his 60s. The new death brings the state total of deaths to 199 residents and one nonresident, DHSS said in the case summary.

Of the new cases reported Friday, 10 were identified in nonresidents with four in the mining industry in the Northwest Arctic Borough, three in Unalaska, one in Anchorage, one in the mining industry in Southeast Alaska and one in an unknown location.

The new cases bring the state total of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began to 45,265 residents and nonresidents. A total of 967 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19, including three people who were recently hospitalized yesterday DHSS said in the case summary.

DHSS says resident cases were reported in these communities: