Alaska reports 854 COVID-19 cases over 2 days as sharp decline continues

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The state of Alaska continues to see declining rates of COVID-19, with just over 850 additional infections reported over the last two days.

The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reported 854 COVID-19 cases on Friday — 393 on Wednesday and 461 on Thursday. Of those, 11 cases are among nonresidents. Alaska’s number of new cases has been steadily declining since January. State case data shows a 31% decrease in cases this past week compared to the week of Feb. 11-17.

While cases have been dropping dramatically, Alaska is still one of the states with a higher rate of new COVID-19 cases per capita. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows Alaska has the fourth-highest rate of new cases among all U.S. states, with a rate of 393 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the last week.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Alaska also dropped this week, down to 84 on Friday compared to 94 on Wednesday. According to the state’s hospital dashboard, there are three patients currently on a ventilator, and 6.2% of all people hospitalized in Alaska are being hospitalized with COVID-19.

Statewide, 21 adult intensive care unit beds are still left open, with just three available in Anchorage.

The rate of vaccination in Alaska is still moving relatively slowly, with 63.7% of eligible Alaska residents, veterans and military members now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 70.9% having gotten at least an initial vaccine dose. State vaccine data shows that 26.5% of eligible Alaskans have received a booster shot, while 26.3% are considered overdue for a booster.

Since the pandemic began in Alaska, the state has recorded a total of 1,130 Alaska resident deaths and 33 nonresident deaths that have been related to COVID-19.

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