New cases of the novel coronavirus reached into the triple digits during the weekend, to include 93 residents in 18 communities, plus 23 nonresidents in six areas of Alaska.
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services officials identified locations of newly diagnosed residents as Anchorage 29, Fairbanks 19, Palmer seven, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area six, plus four each in Cordova, Soldotna and Wasilla, three each in Eagle River, Juneau and the city of Kenai, two each in Chugiak, North Pole and the Nome Census Area, plus one each in Kodiak, Nome, Bethel Census Area, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and Seward.
The four Cordova cases reported Sunday by the state reflect cases announced earlier in the week by Cordova officials , but were not added to the state’s totals until this weekend.
Among new nonresident cases were 11 seafood industry workers in Valdez. Another seafood worker and seven from unknown industries were identified by state health officials as being at unknown locations. The other five nonresident cases, also identified as being in unknown industries, included two in Fairbanks, and one each in Anchorage, Prudhoe Bay and Seward.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Alaska as of Sunday, July 12, stood at 1,479, plus 295 nonresidents. Hospitalizations are at 86 individuals, including one new one, and the death toll stands at 17.
Seventeen more people have recovered from the virus, boosting that total to 615.
On Saturday, the previous highest daily count with 77 new cases, Dr. Anne Zink, the state’s chief medical officer, posted on her Twitter account that she was wearing her glasses when around others for eye protection and had removed rings for better hand-washing. She advised postponing any medical procedures that can safely be postponed.
The doctor also advised “no carpooling, only adventures we can drive to on our own,” and “touch base with friends and family who have to be around others for work or are higher risk making sure they have masks, food, eye protection and what they might need.”
A total of 145,475 tests have now been conducted. The average percentage of daily positive test for the previous three days as of July 9 was 1.54 percent.
Updates on the impact of COVID-19 are posted daily at coronavirus-response-alaska-dhss.hub.arcgis.com.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that the four Cordova cases the state reported over the weekend were previously announced by Cordova officials earlier in the week. See the city of Cordova’s COVID-19 dashboard here.
