DHSS Press Release: 33 new cases of COVID-19 in Alaska; 29 resident, 4 nonresident

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

33 new cases of COVID-19 in Alaska; 29 resident, 4 nonresident

 June 28, 2020 ANCHORAGE — The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) today announced 33 new cases of COVID-19 in Alaska; 29 are residents of 11 communities: Anchorage (15), Fairbanks (2), Seward (2), Wasilla (2), Delta Junction (2), Big Lake (1), Juneau (1), North Pole (1), Soldotna (1), Valdez (1), and Willow (1). This brings the total number of Alaska cases to 883.

Four new nonresident cases were also identified in:

• Dillingham Census Area (1): seafood industry, recorded on 6/27
• Southeast Fairbanks Census Area (2): mining, recorded on 6/27
• Ketchikan (1): other industry, recorded on 6/25

This brings the total number of nonresident cases to 179.

Of the new Alaska cases, 18 are male and 11 are female. Three are under 10 years old; one is aged 10-19; 10 are aged 20-29; nine are aged 30-39; one is aged 40-49; two are aged 50-59; and three are aged 60-69.  There have been a total of 67 hospitalizations and 14 deaths with no new hospitalizations or deaths reported yesterday. Recovered cases now total 521, with no new recovered cases recorded yesterday. A total of 108,300 tests have been conducted. The average percentage of daily positive tests for the previous three days is 1.11%.

“We are definitely seeing a sharp increase in cases in Alaska, and just like in other states, many of the recent new cases are in youth or younger adults,” said Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer. “Some of these cases are linked to bars in several communities. Going to a bar right now, especially to listen to a concert, should be viewed as a high risk activity. The virus can spread easily in crowded indoor spaces, especially when people are close together and singing or talking. Please take precautions and if you do go, consider not interacting with anyone who is at high risk for serious illness such as older Alaskans or those with underlying health conditions.”

Guidance for bars can be found on the CDC website and also on the State of Alaska’s Reopen Alaska Responsibly website. Signage and additional guidance for businesses can also be found in the DHSS Covid Conscious Business Toolkit.

This report reflects data from 12:00 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. on June 27 that posted at noon today on the Alaska Coronavirus Response Hub. Also note that upon further investigation and interviews, data points for cases – such as the date and residence – may on occasion change on the data dashboard after they are announced.

Starting tomorrow, this press release will no longer be issued daily. DHSS will release COVID-19 press releases three times weekly (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and will also issue the COVID-19 Weekly Case Update. Case count summaries, similar to the information provided in this press release, will continue to be posted daily on DHSS Facebook and Twitter. This change is intended to continue to provide the public with similar information, but in a manner that will be more sustainable over the long term as the pandemic continues.

Stay informed

• Alaska’s response
• United States response
• Global response

Questions about COVID-19?

• For general questions and assistance, please call 2-1-1.
• For the general public, questions regarding DHSS COVID response, including mandates and alerts, can be sent to covidquestions@alaska.gov.
• Data questions can be sent to data.coronavirus@alaska.gov
• For DHSS media inquiries, please contact clinton.bennett@alaska.gov.

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