Alaska Department of Health & Social Services Weekly Case Update
March 21-27, 2021

Brief Status Report

• Virus transmission increased this week with higher case rates and test positivity. This increase was primarily driven by sharp increases in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and the Matanuska-Susitna regions.
• Anyone 16 years or older who lives or works in Alaska is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Alaska was the first state to offer vaccines to everyone over a certain age without prerequisites.
• More vaccinations lead to fewer COVID-19 illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. Vaccinations are the key to ending this pandemic.
• Alaska is currently the third most vaccinated state per capita. 86.55% of the State/IHS vaccine allocation so far has been administered.
• DHSS encourages all Alaskans who are currently eligible for COVID-19 vaccination to make appointments as soon as possible by visiting covidvax.alaska.gov or by calling 1-907-646-3322. The call line is staffed Monday-Friday from 9AM-6:30PM and 9AM-4:30PM on weekends. The call line can also be used to answer general questions about vaccine safety and to request appointments to receive a specific type of vaccine. Alaskans receiving health services through a Tribal Health Organization or the Department of Defense should contact those organizations directly to determine their eligibility.
• No new COVID variants of concern were detected in Alaska during the past week.

What Alaskans Can Do

• Every Alaskan who chooses to wear a mask, stay 6 feet from others, avoid indoor gatherings, and get vaccinated helps protect themselves and the health of all Alaskans. These are our best tools to decrease the chance of a new variant entering Alaska and spreading.
• Fully vaccinated people can visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or socially distancing. They can also visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 without wearing masks or socially distancing. Vaccinated people can also refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure to someone with COVID-19 so long as the vaccinated person is asymptomatic. We expect that CDC guidelines for people who have been vaccinated will continue to be updated as new evidence becomes available. 
• To stop COVID-19, including new strains of virus, from coming into Alaska and spreading, testing within 72 hours before returning to Alaska or on arrival and then strict social distancing until the test result is available is recommended. A second test 5-14 days after arrival is also recommended if the traveler is not fully vaccinated. As of Jan 26, 2021, the CDC requires international travelers to show proof of a negative test from within the last 72 hours on arrival back in the US.
• CDC guidelines recommend regular asymptomatic testing for critical infrastructure workers and other groups at higher risk for COVID-19.
• Alaskans should get tested immediately at the first sign of any symptoms. Tests work best when obtained promptly after symptoms start. Testing early helps people know if they are positive quickly and helps prompt them to take immediate precautions to minimize the risk of transmitting the virus to others.
• Most Alaskans get COVID-19 from a friend, family member, or coworker. Many Alaskans who are diagnosed with COVID-19 report that they went to social gatherings, community events, church services, and other social venues while they were contagious but before they knew they had the virus.
• Alaskans should avoid indoor gatherings with non-household members, avoid crowds, wear masks when around non-household members, and stay 6 feet from anyone not in their household.

Case Trends and Predictions

• 1,237 cases were reported in Alaskans last week. This is a 47.8% increase from the week before, driven primarily by higher rates in the Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Matanuska-Susitna Regions.
• 14-day average daily case rates were similar or higher in most regions of Alaska compared with last week. The Anchorage case rate increased sharply to 22.0 from 16.6. This is the highest case rate since mid-January. Fairbanks North Star Borough increased to 13.7 reversing a two week downward trend. Case rates in Matanuska-Susitna Region continued to rise to 40.9, the highest level this region has seen in 2021.
• The Juneau City and Borough rate continued decreasing to 3.8, which is the lowest level in 2021. The Interior Region except Fairbanks decreased to 40.9 from 47.1.
• Case rates were slightly higher in Kenai Peninsula Borough, 6.7 up from 6.2, Northern Southeast Region at 6.3 up from 6.0, Southern Southeast Region at 4.7 from 4.0, and Southwest Region at 5.6 up from 5.3. Case rates slightly decreased in Northwest Region down to 4.5 from 5.3.
• The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Region daily case rate decreased to 26.4 from 34.1. This reversed a two week increase in case rates.  
• The estimated statewide daily growth rate as of March 31, 2021 is 0.32% and new cases are expected to double every 218.75 days based on current modeling.

Regional Case Trends

Vaccines Status Update

Reported vaccinations as of March 31, 2021.

• The State of Alaska is working with federal, local, Tribal, and military partners to ensure that the distribution of vaccine goes as quickly and smoothly as possible.
• Anyone 16 years or older who lives or works in Alaska is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. All registration for vaccines should go through the registration system on covidvax.alaska.gov . Appointments can also be made by calling 1-907-646-3322. The call line is staffed Monday-Friday from 9AM-6:30PM and 9AM-4:30PM on weekends. The call line can also be used to answer general questions about vaccine safety and to request appointments to receive a specific type of vaccine.
• On March 31, the New York Times vaccination tracker had Alaska as the sixth highest state by percent of the population that has received at least one shot, at 34%, and tied for third for population that has received two shots, at 22%. The Alaska vaccine tracker is available online as is a vaccine dashboard for more up-to-date data.
• There is a several day lag in reporting some vaccinations so the dashboard does not yet reflect all vaccinations that have been given.
• Three vaccines are currently available in Alaska: Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are mRNA vaccines. The Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine is an adenovirus-vectored technology.  
• There are no plans to mandate a vaccine at the state level.
• More vaccinations lead to fewer COVID-19 illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths.
• Healthcare providers play a key role in building public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition to their roles as health advisers, protectors, and advocates, healthcare personnel were the first group offered COVID-19 vaccinations. Health workers are a trusted voice that can have a powerful influence on their families and communities when it comes to getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Here are the CDC’s Six Ways to Help Build COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence:

1. Encourage leaders in your family, community, or organizations to be vaccine champions.
2. Have discussions about COVID-19 vaccines where people can openly discuss their views and ask questions.
3. Share key messages through multiple channels that people trust and that promote action.
4. Help educate people about COVID-19 vaccines, how they are developed and monitored for safety, and how individuals can talk to others about the vaccines.
5. Learn more about finding credible vaccine information. When you come across COVID-19 information, cross-check with CDC.gov and learn how to respond to misinformation you encounter.
6. Make visible your decision to get vaccinated and celebrate it!

New Cases, Hospitalizations, and Deaths

• During the week of March 21 through March 27, 2021 1,237 cases were reported in Alaskans last week. This is a 47.8% increase from the week before, for a total of 60,111 cumulative cases reported in Alaskans.
• Cumulative hospitalizations increased to 1,356 with 14 reported as occurring this week. Hospitalization reports often lag and only 1,318 hospitalizations were reported at this time last week, so there are 38 hospitalizations newly reported this week including ones that began during previous weeks.
• Deaths among Alaska residents increased by 3 (309 total). None of these deaths occurred during this past week. It is common to take more than a week for a death to be reported, and more deaths that occurred during Mar 21–Mar 27 may be reported in future as death certificates are reviewed.
• No new nonresident cases were identified this week for a total of 2,521 cases.

Variant Tracking

• No new COVID variant cases were detected during the week of March 21-27
• Cumulative list of variants of concern identified in Alaska:

• Last week the CDC added B.1.427 and B.1.429 to the list of variants of concern. Subsequent to the CDC’s, Alaska is adjusting surveillance practices and public outputs. B.1.427 and B.1.429 cases are not currently included in this summary.
• Alaska’s Public Health Laboratories continue to monitor for variants of concern as well as for other variants of interest.
• The available SARS CoV-2 Monoclonal antibody products have been found to have varying effectiveness to current variants of concern.  Bamlinivimab alone is unlikely effective against B.1.351 (S Africa), P.1 (Brazil), B.1.427/B.1.429 (CA), and B.1.526 (NY).  Given this resistance Eli Lilly has stopped the distribution bamlanivimab alone, etesevimab is available to pair with existing bamlanivimab doses as well the bamlanivimab/etesevimab combined packaging. Modeling predicts Regeneron (casirivimab/indevimab) is maintaining is original activity against B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, B.1.427/B.1.429, and B.1.526. The manufacturers have updated their package insert with the addition of a section on viral susceptibility. 

Health Care Capacity

On March 31, 33 Alaskans with confirmed COVID-19 were hospitalized and 3 were reported to require a mechanical ventilator.
Hospital staffing can change quickly, particularly if a community has many health workers impacted by COVID-19.

Total Confirmed COVID-19 Beds Occupied

Cases by Week Reported and Age Group

Cases by Week Reported and Race

Cases by Week Reported and Region

Additional informational resources:

• The State of Alaska COVID-19 vaccine status update page:
• The State of Alaska COVID-19 information page provides more information about the virus and how individuals and businesses can protect themselves and others from transmission
• For the most up-to-date case information, see the Alaska Coronavirus Response Hub dashboard: updated Monday – Friday at data.coronavirus.alaska.gov (note: data may change as more information comes to light through contact tracing and other public health work).
• For DHSS media inquiries, please contact mailto:clinton.bennett@alaska.gov