After a week when a sudden spike in COVID-19 coronavirus cases hit the news, there were four new cases of COVID-19 reported in four Alaska communities – Anchorage (1), Wasilla (1), Homer (1) and Kenai Peninsula Borough (1). This brings the total Alaska case count to 434. One new nonresident case was also recorded yesterday, bringing that total to 19.
The report reflects data from 12 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. on May 29 that posted at noon Saturday on the Alaska Coronavirus Response Hub.
Camai Community Health Center issued a press release on Friday about two cases detected in the Bristol Bay Borough. These cases are not borough residents. One individual is a nonresident and the other is an Alaska resident with permanent residence outside the region. Both individuals had been in quarantine since arriving in the borough but are not seafood industry workers. They are now in self-isolation but are not acutely ill. Public health nurses have initiated a contact investigation and will continue to monitor both individuals.
Of the four Alaska cases, two are male and two are female. One each is aged 10-19, 20-29, 40-49 and 80 or older. There have been a total of 47 hospitalizations and 10 deaths with no new hospitalizations or deaths reported yesterday. Recovered cases now total 368, including one new recovered case recorded yesterday. A total of 51,695 tests have been conducted.
Between Wednesday and Thursday, 20 cases had been reported; some of them are attributed to more testing being conducted as people return to doctors and dentists for health care.
There are 66 active cases of the coronavirus known in Alaska at this time. Fourteen are hospitalized with the illness and two of those are on ventilators.