Alaska is reporting its largest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases so far this year. The state Department of Health and Social Services reported 730 new cases yesterday, including 701 resident cases and 29 nonresident cases. That’s just a couple hundred cases less than Alaska’s all-time record high single-day case count of 933 in December of last year.
Across the Kenai Peninsula, Homer reported 35 cases, Soldotna 16, Kenai 9, Seward 7, Nikiski 6, Sterling 5, Kenai Peninsula Borough North 4, Anchor Point 3, and Kenai Peninsula Borough South 3. Additionally, there were 29 new nonresident cases including 1 in Homer, 1 in Kenai, 1 in Kenai Peninsula Borough North and 1 in Soldotna.
No new deaths were reported, leaving Alaska’s death toll from the pandemic at 427 residents. The current statewide alert level – based on the reported number of cases per 100,000 people over the past 7 days – is high (red) at 456.7. 27 areas of the state are in the high alert level.
60.3% of Alaskans age 12 and older have received at least their first vaccine dose. 54.1% of Alaskans 12 and older have been fully vaccinated. 45.9% of the Kenai Peninsula Region are fully vaccinated.