Alaska reports over 1,800 new COVID cases over the weekend

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The state of Alaska reported over 1,800 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend, numbers that reflect a continued drop in overall case counts.

The Department of Health and Social Services on Monday reported 1,822 new resident cases — 893 on Friday, 511 on Saturday and 418 on Sunday — as well as 42 total nonresident cases — 21 on Friday, 12 on Saturday and nine on Sunday — for a total of 1,864 total cases over the three days.

Compared to the week of Jan. 31-Feb. 6, the past seven days have shown a 45% drop in new COVID-19 cases, going from 10,804 cases from Jan. 31-Feb. 6 to 5,908 new cases from Feb. 7-Feb. 13.

Deaths in the state remain at 1,081, although the department only reports new deaths on Wednesdays.

The state reported 103 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 with seven currently on a ventilator and 29 out of 127 adult intensive care unit beds available. According to the state, 10.8% of hospitalized patients across Alaska are being hospitalized with COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that Alaska is still first among all U.S. states when it comes to community transmission, although that number is rapidly dropping. Alaska currently has 969.9 new cases per 100,000 over the past seven days, the first time it’s been under 1,000 since early January when Alaska’s omicron cases were on the rise. Only the U.S. territories of Northern Mariana Islands and Guam and the island country of Palau rank ahead of Alaska.

Vaccination rates in the state have become mostly stagnant over the past week, with 69.4% of eligible Alaskans, plus veterans and military members, having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, 62.1% have finished their primary immunization series and 26.4% have gotten a booster shot.

Of the 1,864 COVID-19 cases reported over the last three days, 1,822 of them were identified among Alaska residents of the following communities:

• Anchorage: 648
• Nome Census Area: 182
• Greater Wasilla area: 114
• Fairbanks: 89
• Juneau: 60
• Greater Palmer area: 44
• Northwest Arctic Borough: 44
• Kodiak: 42
• Eagle River: 41
• Soldotna: 41
• Chevak: 36
• Homer: 36
• Kotzebue: 34
• Nome: 31
• Ketchikan: 29
• Utqiaġvik: 29
• Kenai: 21
• Bethel: 20
• Bethel Census Area: 20
• North Slope Borough: 20
• Seward: 20
• Metlakatla: 18
• Kusilvak Census Area: 15
• Kenai Peninsula Borough South: 14
• Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area: 14
• Chugiak: 12
• North Pole: 12
• Copper River Census Area: 10
• Sitka: 10
• Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area: 9
• Sterling: 9
• Haines: 8
• Wrangell: 8
• Houston/Big Lake: 7
• Anchor Point: 6
• Cordova: 5
• Delta Junction: 5
• Dillingham Census Area: 5
• Petersburg: 5
• Chugach Census Area: 4
• Kenai Peninsula Borough North: 4
• Tok: 4
• Willow: 4
• Craig: 3
• Girdwood: 3
• Healy: 3
• Hoonah-Angoon plus Yakutat: 3
• Kodiak Island Borough: 3
• Nikiski: 3
• Southeast Fairbanks Census Area: 3
• Aleutians East Borough: 2
• Dillingham: 2
• Skagway: 2
• Aleutians West Census Area: 1
• Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula Borough: 1
• Fritz Creek: 1
• Matanuska-Susitna Borough: 1
• Unalaska: 1

Of the 42 additional nonresident COVID-19 cases reported by the state over the weekend, 11 were in Anchorage, five were in the Aleutians East Borough and four each were in Fairbanks and Nome.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional information.

Correction: This article has been updated to correct that 69.4% of eligible Alaska residents, plus military members and veterans, have received at least one vaccine dose. This article has also been updated to correct that Palau is an island country, not a U.S. territory.

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