Alaska is currently the most tested state in the nation for COVID-19, per capita, followed by Rhode Island, according to Worldometer, a website that ranks states and countries on several key measures in the COVID-19 response. The testing measure is cumulative and based upon all tests administered since the start of the pandemic.
Alaska also ranks first among states based on the current weekly trend, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Research Center.
The current Johns Hopkins University weekly trend for Alaska is 4.9 tests for every 1,000 people. The District of Columbia, a territory, ranks higher with 5.1 tests for every 1,000 people. New York state, with a rate of 4.1 tests for every 1,000 people, is the second most tested state.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Anne Zink addressed the level of testing as well as the state’s low percentage of positive cases: “Our percent positivity through August has been decreasing over-time. It’s been great to see that. This is a combination of how much testing is being done, as well as our number of positive cases, and we really appreciate the federal support as well as local and tribal support. They’re helping to make a lot of this testing a reality. It’s not perfect, we have a long way to go, we still have a lot to do. We continue to be the most tested state in the nation. We continue to try to make it easily accessible to every Alaskan, no matter where they are in the state.”
COVID-19 tests collected in Alaska are processed by three main entities – the Alaska State Public Health Laboratories, hospitals and health care facilities and commercial laboratories. Before the pandemic, these facilities processed hundreds of tests per day. Today, they process thousands.