The state Department of Health and Social Services reports 5 additional deaths, 833 COVID-19 cases and 233 hospitalizations in the data update from Thursday. The five Alaska residents who died included a male Kenai resident age 80 or older, a male Soldotna resident in his 40s, a male Dillingham Census area resident in his 50s, a male Haines resident in his 70s, and a female Juneau resident in her 40s.
In the data update, the COVID cases reported included 818 resident and 15 nonresident cases. Those numbers include 44 cases in Soldotna, 20 in Kenai, 9 in Homer, 5 in Nikiski, 4 in Kenai Peninsula Borough North, 4 in Seward, 3 in Anchor Point, 3 in Sterling, and 2 in Kenai Peninsula Borough South. Of the nonresident cases, Homer reported 2 and Kenai reported one case.
There are currently 233 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who are hospitalized and five additional patients who are considered persons under investigation (PUI) for a total of 238 current COVID-related hospitalizations. Thirty of these patients are on ventilators. The percentage of patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 is 18.9%.
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 633.1. For boroughs and census areas: 25 areas are at the high alert level, including the Kenai Peninsula Region.
65% of Alaskans 12 and older have received at least their first vaccine dose. 60.1% of Alaskans aged 12 and older have been fully vaccinated. 50.3% of the Kenai Peninsula Region are considered fully vaccinated.