Alaska reports more than 1,700 new COVID-19 infections over last 5 days

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The state of Alaska reported 1,773 new COVID-19 cases since they last reported new numbers last Friday. Alaska’s rate of new cases continues to drop, but the state did report 22 additional COVID-19-related deaths among Alaska residents on Wednesday.

The data reported by the Department of Health and Social Services on Wednesday includes cases reported between Feb. 18-22. Over that five-day stretch, there were 1,749 new cases among Alaska residents and 24 new cases among nonresidents reported by the state. The figures reported by the state account for a 36% decrease between the week of Feb. 9-15 and the week of Feb. 16-22.

There are 94 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across Alaska currently, 58 of those in Anchorage. There are six people who require a ventilator, all of whom are in Anchorage hospitals. There are 23 adult intensive care unit beds available statewide, but just one in Anchorage.

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According to the state health department, the 22 additional Alaska residents who have died with the virus ranged in age from over 80 to one in their 30s. Of the 22 deaths, seven were Anchorage residents, three were Fairbanks residents, two were from Palmer, two were from Wasilla, and one each was from Bethel, the Bethel Census Area, Chugiak, Houston, Ketchikan, the Kusilvak Census Area, the North Slope Borough and the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area.

There have now been 1,130 COVID-19-related deaths among Alaska residents with the 22 new deaths reported on Wednesday. With 33 nonresident deaths since the start of the pandemic, there have been 1,163 COVID-19-related deaths in Alaska, cumulatively. The state announced at the beginning of February that newly recorded deaths would only be announced on Wednesdays.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alaska dropped from second to ninth-highest among states for the rate of new cases. Alaska’s rate of 268.1 reported by the CDC is less than one-fifth of Maine’s case rate at 1,595.1, which is the highest among U.S. states.

The vaccination data reported by the state has remained unchanged since the state last reported new numbers last Friday. A total of 26.6% of Alaska residents, veterans and military have received booster doses, 63.6% have completed their primary series and 70.8% have received at least one dose.

While the state as a whole maintains a case rate higher than 100 cases per 100,000 residents over the last week, two areas have reduced their community transmission level to low. Both the Denali Borough and the Wrangell City and Borough have had zero new cases reported in the last week and eight over the last two weeks, and achieved a low community transmission level.

Of the 1,773 COVID-19 cases reported over the last five days, 1,749 of them were identified among Alaska residents of the following communities:

Of the 24 additional nonresident COVID-19 cases reported by the state on Wednesday, six were in Anchorage and five were in Wasilla.

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

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