Updated 2:10 p.m., Dec. 16.
Infections of the novel coronavirus in Alaska keep rising, with 616 new infections confirmed on Wednesday, Dec. 16, including two in Cordova and four in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, plus two more resident deaths, state health officials said.
A record 933 new confirmed infections in a single day were recorded earlier in December.
Officials with the state Department of Health and Social Services say hospital capacity and staffing remain a significant concern.
DHSS officials warn that traveling remains a high risk, with about one in 16 passengers tested after arriving in Alaska airports from out of state testing positive for COVID-19.
To date 41,041 Alaskans and 1,432 nonresidents have been diagnosed with COVID-19, for a total of 42,473 people, of whom 180 residents and one nonresident have succumbed.
There are currently 146 people hospitalized with COVID-related conditions, including 137 people already diagnosed with COVID-19, and nine others whose condition is under investigation. Fifteen of these patients are on ventilators.
According to state health officials the number of cases being reported electronically by phone and fax to the Section of Epidemiology is increasing. Because of the number of reports being received, there have been delays in getting reports entered and counted, they said.
One resident case was removed from the dashboard through data verification.
New resident cases of the virus on the DHSS data dashboard as of Dec. 16 included:
- Anchorage, 240,
- Wasilla, 84,
- Palmer, 34,
- Fairbanks, 33,
- Kodiak, 30,
- Kenai, 28,
- Bethel, 22,
- Eagle River, Soldotna, 14,
- North Pole, Utqiagvik,
- Kusilvak Census Area, 11,
- Chugiak, 9,
- Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, 7,
- Homer, 6,
- Kenai Peninsula Borough North, Nome, 5,
- Fairbanks North Star Borough, Valdez-Cordova Census Area, 4,
- Kenai Peninsula Borough South, Sitka, Sterling, 3,
- Bethel Census Area, Cordova, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Tok, Valdez, Willow, 2,
- Big Lake, Delta Junction, Healy, Kodiak Island Borough, Nikiski, North Slope Borough, Unalaska, 1.
Twelve new nonresident cases as of Dec. 15 included four in unidentified locations, three in Unalaska, two in Anchorage and one each in Kenai, Fairbanks and Wasilla.
A total of 1,166,145 tests have been conducted, with 28,797 tests conducted in the previous seven days. The average percentage of daily positive tests for the previous seven days is 6.52 percent. Statewide updates are provided daily by state health officials Alaska’s COVID-19 dashboard at covid19.alaska.gov.
The DHSS daily report reflects data from midnight to 11:59 p.m., which is posted at noon daily on the Alaska Coronavirus Response Hub.
Updates on the impact of COVID-19 are posted daily at coronavirus-response-alaska-dhss.hub.arcgis.com.
For Cordova updates, visit the city’s COVID-19 dashboard here.
