Alaska reports 16 recent COVID-19 deaths and less than 500 cases Tuesday

Alaska on Tuesday reported 16 current COVID-19 deaths, an indication of the lingering impacts of the record-level case counts and hospitalizations the state was experiencing in September and early this month.

The state on Tuesday additionally reported 475 new circumstances, together with 464 amongst residents and 11 amongst nonresidents — a part of a doable leveling off in each day circumstances that well being officers say they’re persevering with to look at carefully.

Ten of the newly reported deaths concerned Anchorage residents: a person in his 20s, a lady in her 30s, a person in his 40s, two males and a lady of their 50s, a person in his 60s, a person in his 70s and two males of their 80s. Different Alaskans who died included three Fairbanks males — one in his 40s and two of their 60s — together with two Kenai males, one in his 50s and the opposite in his 60s. A Cordova lady in her 60s additionally died with the virus.

Alaska’s deadliest month of the pandemic to this point has been December 2020, when 100 COVID-19 fatalities had been reported. However September and August 2021 mark the second- and third-deadliest months, with 76 and 75 deaths reported respectively. It may possibly typically take just a few weeks to confirm reason for demise, which suggests these numbers may very well be up to date within the coming weeks.

Nonetheless, Alaska’s general demise fee per capita is among the many lowest within the nation for the reason that pandemic started, and Alaska at present falls within the bottom third amongst U.S. states for its per capita demise fee over the previous week. At the very least 590 Alaskans and 22 nonresidents have died with coronavirus infections.

Whereas the final week noticed a 9% lower in circumstances in comparison with the week earlier than, Alaska continues to report the nation’s highest variety of circumstances per 100,000 residents within the earlier seven days, in line with information from the federal Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.

The statewide seven-day common take a look at positivity fee — the proportion of constructive outcomes out of whole checks carried out — was 10.78% as of Tuesday, a pandemic excessive. Something over 5% signifies excessive transmission and insufficient testing, authorities say.

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In Anchorage, the place metropolis well being officers last week announced they had been scaling again COVID-19 testing efforts as the results of an elevated variety of individuals in search of checks and a scarcity of funds to pay for these checks, the typical positivity fee was 12%.

The variety of individuals hospitalized has fallen barely in current days. By Tuesday, there have been 186 sufferers with COVID-19 hospitalized across the state, together with 26 individuals on ventilators. Just a few weeks in the past, the state reported a record high of 217 hospitalizations — a quantity that doesn’t at all times embrace individuals previous their infectious interval who nonetheless want hospital care.

Twenty well being care services across the state are operating under crisis standards of care, although not all have enacted disaster mode and any selections to prioritize remedy are fluid and made each day.

And whereas hospitals are nonetheless coping with excessive affected person hundreds and strained assets, they not too long ago obtained some reduction from Decrease 48 well being care staff. As the results of a state contract signed final month, almost 500 well being care staff have arrived within the state — together with 275 nurses who obtained their emergency credentials on an accelerated timeline, in line with the state Division of Commerce, Group and Financial Improvement.

Hospital leaders say vaccination is one of the simplest ways to stop extreme sickness and demise from the virus. Roughly 40% of all eligible Alaskans usually are not absolutely vaccinated. Virtually 64% of eligible Alaskans had obtained at the very least one dose of vaccine as of Tuesday.

Amongst Alaskans who’ve already had COVID-19, the prospect of getting it once more in July and August was 24% larger for unvaccinated residents in comparison with absolutely vaccinated residents, in line with the newest month-to-month COVID-19 update that the state Division of Public Well being launched final week. The report additionally confirmed vaccine breakthrough circumstances had been on the rise in August, partly attributable to waning immunity over time, though the proportion of vaccine breakthrough circumstances general has turn into extra constant for the reason that delta variant turned dominant.

Pfizer booster pictures are actually accessible in Alaska, and well being officers say those who are eligible — together with adults who obtained their second Pfizer vaccine dose at the very least six months in the past and are both 65 and older or at excessive danger of extreme sickness — ought to think about getting the additional shot as a solution to additional defend themselves towards COVID-19.

Alaskans can go to vaccines.gov to seek for a vaccine supplier close to them, or name the state’s coronavirus helpline, 907-646-3322, from 9 a.m. to six:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends to get native help making an appointment. Many, however not all, vaccine suppliers within the Anchorage space are additionally listed at anchoragecovidvaccine.org.

[State reports 4 COVID-19 deaths and more than 2,750 cases over the weekend]