Alaska Department of Health & Social Services Weekly Case Update
July 18 — July 24, 2021

Correction: This statement which appeared in the first version of this bulletin was edited for clarity on 7.30.21: “All regions of Alaska are now at the “orange” or “red” Alert Level. All persons, including fully vaccinated persons, should wear a mask when in indoor public spaces.” See the highlighted bullet point below for the corrected statement .

Case Trends

• The number of COVID-19 cases in Alaska continued last week on a clear upwards trajectory.

• 1,358 cases were reported in Alaskans last week. This is a 55% increase from the week before. This is the sixth week in a row of week-over-week increases.
• Increases in cases were widely distributed across the state, with increases in multiple parts of Southeast Alaska (especially Sitka and Juneau), nearly all parts of the state on the road system (including Kenai Peninsula Borough, Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Fairbanks North Star Borough, and the Copper River Census Area), and some parts of rural Alaska (e.g., Bethel Census Area and Kodiak Island Borough).
• The Delta variant has become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant in Alaska. This variant transmits more easily than other variants.
• Currently available COVID vaccines will help protect you, your family, and your community against COVID-19, including the Delta variant. Getting vaccinated now is more important than ever. Avoid crowds and delay travel until you are fully vaccinated.
• All regions of Alaska are now at the “orange” or “red” Alert Level while most Alaska communities also meet the CDC threshold of “substantial or high” community transmission (greater than a total of 50 cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days). All regions of Alaska are now at the “orange” or “red” Alert Level while most Alaska communities also meet the CDC threshold of “substantial or high” community transmission (greater than a total of 50 cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days). Alaskans should consider following CDC guidance which encourages mask wearing in indoor public spaces if you live in an area experiencing substantial to high rates of community transmission according to CDC definitions. View CDC’s community transmission levels here: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view  

Regional Alert Level Trends

• Alert levels are based on the daily average number of reported cases over the past 14 days per 100,000 population.

** Rates based on <6 observations are not reported

Vaccination Status

• Anyone aged 12+ in Alaska is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
• If you have received an initial dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, be sure to get your second dose too. Evidence suggests two doses of an mRNA vaccine are more effective than one dose of an mRNA vaccine, especially against emerging variants of concern.
• Vaccinated persons with immunocompromising conditions should discuss with their health care providers the need for personal protective measures.
• To schedule your vaccine appointment visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322.
• You can also visit vaccines.gov or find clinics in your area by texting your zip code to GETVAX (438829) in English, or VACUNA (822862) for Spanish.
• The Alaska vaccine dashboard is available online for the most up-to-date data.

Regional Vaccine Coverage:

This is the percent of Alaskans aged 12+ who received one or more dose of vaccine.

New Hospitalizations and Deaths

• Cumulative hospitalizations increased by 27 to 1,694. Hospitalization reports often lag when a case was initially reported.
• 8.9% of hospitalized patients in Alaska had COVID-19 as of July 27, 2021.
• On July 24, 2021, there were 97 persons with COVID-19 in AK hospitals, which is a 64% increase relative to the week before when there were 59 persons hospitalized.
• The cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths among Alaska residents increased by 3 to 377. It is common to take some time for a death to be reported and verified, and deaths that occurred during July 18-July 24 may be reported in the future after death certificates are reviewed.

Total Confirmed COVID Beds Occupied

Variant Tracking

• The most recent Alaska COVID Genomic Surveillance report was released on July 27th.

Vaccine Breakthrough Cases

• Vaccine breakthrough (VB) infections of COVID-19 are those detected in a person who is at least 2 weeks beyond their second dose of a 2-dose series or the only dose of a 1-dose series.
• From January 1–July 24, 2021, three deaths, 37 hospitalizations, and 1,324 cases with a VB infection were reported among Alaska residents. These counts are provisional and subject to change as more data are compiled. In that same time frame, a total of 22,886 cases, 589 hospitalizations, and 89 deaths were reported.
• 94% of all cases, 94% of all hospitalizations, and 97% of all deaths to date were in people who were not fully vaccinated. 
• Specimens from VB infections are described in the weekly Alaska Genomics Report.

Statewide Percentage of Daily Tests with Positive Results
(Seven day rolling average)

Cases by Week of Onset and Age

Cases by Week of Onset and Race

Additional informational resources:

• 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
• For DHSS media inquiries, please contact clinton.bennett@alaska.gov