Alaska reports more than 400 new COVID-19 cases over past 2 days

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The state of Alaska reported more than 400 new COVID-19 cases over the past two days.

The Department of Health and Social Services reported 472 new cases — 247 on Monday and 225 on Tuesday. Of those, six were nonresident cases. Cases for the previous seven days are down 35% when compared to the week of March 2-8. However, case numbers were inflated in last Wednesday’s report due to delayed data processing in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region.

The state remains in the “high” alert status for case rates, according to the health department.

Alaska sits second in the nationwide ranking for community transmission among states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state has a seven-day case rate of 229.2 cases per 100,000 people, only behind Idaho. This is up from a case rate of 224.5 on Monday.

One additional death was also reported since March 9. There have now been 1,169 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Alaska. The state only reports new deaths on Wednesdays.

According to the state health department, the Alaskan who died was a Soldotna man who was 80 or older.

There are currently 37 people in Alaska hospitalized with COVID-19, which is down from 38 in Monday’s report. Among all people hospitalized, 3.1% of people are hospitalized with COVID-19. Three people hospitalized currently require a ventilator. Across the state, there are 33 adult intensive care unit beds available, with four available in Anchorage.

Vaccine rates remain largely stagnant, with 71.2% of residents, military members and veterans having received at least one vaccination dose and 64.1% completing their primary immunization series. Booster shots have been administered to 27% of residents.

Of the 472 additional COVID-19 cases reported by the state, 466 of them were identified among Alaska residents of the following communities:

• Anchorage: 154
• Bethel Census Area: 23
• Greater Wasilla area: 23
• Fairbanks: 22
• Juneau: 20
• Kenai: 16
• Ketchikan: 16
• Seward: 16
• Eagle River: 14
• Nome Census Area: 14
• Kusilvak Census Area: 11
• Greater Palmer area: 10
• Nome: 10
• Soldotna: 10
• Homer: 8
• Sitka: 8
• Kodiak: 7
• Cordova: 6
• Hoonah-Angoon plus Yakutat: 6
• Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula: 5
• North Slope Borough: 5
• Anchor Point: 4
• Dillingham: 4
• Metlakatla: 4
• Sterling: 4
• Utqiaġvik: 4
• Valdez: 4
• Healy: 3
• Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area: 3
• Wrangell: 3
• Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area: 3
• Bethel: 2
• Chevak: 2
• Chugiak: 2
• Denali Borough; 2
• Kenai Peninsula Borough North: 2
• Kotzebue: 2
• Matanuska-Susitna Borough: 2
• Northwest Arctic Borough: 2
• Copper River Census Area: 1
• Delta Junction: 1
• Dillingham Census Area: 1
• Hooper Bay: 1
• Houston/Big Lake: 1
• Kodiak Island Borough: 1
• North Pole: 1
• Skagway: 1
• Sutton-Alpine: 1
• Tok: 1

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

Copyright 2022 KTUU. All rights reserved.