COVID-19 tracking in Alaska: 99 cases and no deaths reported over the weekend

According to the Department of Health and Social Services, Alaska reported 99 new coronavirus infections and no deaths linked to COVID-19 between Saturday and Monday.

The average daily case count in Alaska is now declining significantly statewide. For the first time since September, the state moved from a high to an intermediate alert level last week, indicating less spread and fewer cases overall, though some regions remain at a high alert level due to higher case rates.

Anyone aged 12 and up who lives or works in Alaska can now get vaccinated against COVID-19. Alaskans can sign up for a vaccine appointment by visiting covidvax.alaska.gov or calling 907-646-3322, and new appointments are added on a regular basis. The phone line is staffed beginning at 9 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. weekdays and at 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the weekends

Only the Pfizer vaccine is approved for children as young as 12 years old; the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are only approved for those 18 and older.
By Monday, approximately 318,530 people had received their first dose of vaccine. According to the state’s vaccine monitoring dashboard, at least 278,856 people are fully vaccinated.

By Monday, there were 20 people in hospitals across the state with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, far below the peak in late 2020.

Since the pandemic hit Alaska last spring, 362 Alaskans and seven nonresidents have died from COVID-19. Alaska’s death rate per capita remains among the lowest in the country, despite the fact that the state’s size, health-care system, and other factors make national comparisons difficult. The state reported four recent deaths on Tuesday.

The data from the state does not specify whether people who test positive for COVID-19 have symptoms. According to CDC estimates, asymptomatic people transmit more than half of the nation’s infections.