Alaska Department of Health & Social Services Weekly Case Update
December 19 — December 25, 2021

Case Trends

• Alaska currently has the forty-fifth highest number of cases in the last seven days per 100,000 population among the 50 states.
• Hospital capacity has been strained during the Delta variant wave of COVID-19 such that in some hospitals, it may become difficult to care for everyone who needs care, even for non-COVID health concerns. Some care may need to be delayed, there may be long wait times, and hospital beds may not be available.  
• Hospitalizations are continuing to occur in younger Alaskans, with the median age of persons hospitalized due to COVID-19 in 2021 being about 5 years younger than in 2020.
• Among those hospitalized due to COVID-19 and with specimen collection dates from January 16, 2021 through December 25, 2021, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated patients had a median age 14 years younger than fully vaccinated patients.

• Substantial or high levels of COVID-19 transmission are occurring throughout much of Alaska and dozens of Alaskans are hospitalized with COVID-19 each week.
• 1,076 cases were reported in Alaskans the week of December 19–December 25. This is a 0.75% increase from the number of cases reported the week before. Larger numbers of cases have been reported since December 25, indicating an upwards trajectory.
• The number of new COVID-19 cases has increased in the Anchorage Municipality, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Fairbanks North Star Borough, and the City and Borough of Juneau. All four have also experienced recent increases in percent positivity, which suggests that this pattern reflects increased incidence of COVID-19 and is not an artifact of testing. There is not a clear upwards or downwards trajectory in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
• The intensity of COVID-19 transmission varies substantially between communities outside the largest boroughs. COVID-19 cases are regularly reported from nearly all boroughs and census areas and some communities are experiencing widespread transmission.
• Community transmission of the Omicron variant has been identified in Anchorage. The proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Alaska currently due to the Omicron variant is unclear, but preliminary laboratory evidence suggests that the number of cases due to the Omicron variant is rapidly increasing in Alaska and contributing to the overall rise in cases.

COVID-19 Guidance

Take action now to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and preserve health care capacity.

• Please get vaccinated if you haven’t already and get a booster dose if you are eligible (see below for more information). Currently available COVID vaccines will help protect you, your family, and your community against COVID-19.
• Wearing a mask when in indoor public spaces regardless of vaccination status is an important step to take to slow the spread of COVID-19. Most Alaskans live in an area with substantial or high community transmission where this action is needed to protect your health and the health of others.
• Continue to avoid crowds and practice social distancing – particularly when indoors.
• Seek testing if you have any symptoms or have been exposed to an infected person. If you do test positive, isolate right away, and notify your contacts. Ask them to get tested and to quarantine. The CDC recommends people should quarantine if they are unvaccinated, more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (and not yet boosted), or more than 2 months out from their Janssen vaccine (and not yet boosted).
• If you test positive and you’re at increased risk for severe COVID, consider obtaining monoclonal antibody treatment or oral antivirals. These have been shown to be effective treatments for reducing the risk of hospitalization. These treatments work best when given early.
• Persons at high risk include but are not limited to persons who are elderly, immunocompromised, obese, pregnant, or have certain chronic underlying medical conditions.

Borough/Census Area Alert Level Trends

• Alert levels are based on the case counts over the past 7 days as well as the daily number of reported cases over the past 7 days per 100,000 population.
• Alert levels have been changed to more closely mirror CDC’s community transmission indicator and are calculated by borough and census area, rather than by region.

*Rates based on <20 observations are statistically unreliable and should be used with caution.
**Rates based on <6 observations are not reported.

Vaccination Status

• Anyone aged ≥5 years in Alaska is now 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.
• Everyone ≥18 years old who received the primary series of an mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) COVID-19 vaccine ≥6 months ago should receive a booster dose.
• For people who received the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, a boosterdose (either the Janssen vaccine again or an mRNA vaccine) is recommended for anyone aged ≥18 years who was vaccinated ≥2 months ago.
• Adolescents aged 16 and 17 who received the primary series of the Pfizer vaccine ≥6 months ago may receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
• Learn more about who should get a booster dose and to find COVID-19 vaccines near you at covidvax.alaska.gov.
• CDC recommends that people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after a second dose of an mRNA vaccine.
• Vaccinated persons with immunocompromising conditions should discuss with their health care providers the need for additional personal protective measures.
• To schedule your vaccine appointment visit covidvax.alaska.gov or call 907-646-3322.
• To find clinics in your area you can visit vaccines.gov or text 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.

Borough/Census Area Vaccination Coverage
This is the percent of Alaskans aged ≥5 years who received one or more doses of vaccine.

New Hospitalizations and Deaths

• Cumulative hospitalizations increased by 44 to 3,248. Hospitalization reports often lag when a case was initially reported.
• 6.7% of hospitalized patients in Alaska had COVID-19 as of December 27, 2021.
• On December 25th there were 55 persons with COVID-19 in AK hospitals, which is a 15.4% decrease relative to the week before when there were 65 persons hospitalized.
• The cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths among Alaska residents increased by 30 to 945. It is common to take some time for a death to be reported and verified, and deaths that occurred during December 19–December 25 may be reported in the future after death certificates are reviewed.

Total Confirmed COVID Beds Occupied

Variant Tracking

The most recent Genomic Surveillance data can be found on the “COVID-19 Variants” tab of the Cases Dashboard.

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.
• Alaska residents who are fully vaccinated are much less likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than those who are not fully vaccinated. (Age-standardized per capita rates of COVID-19 hospitalizations by vaccination status are updated monthly.)

• The following updated VB data are among Alaska residents aged ≥5 years with a specimen collection date from January 16–December 25, 2021.

• From January 16–December 25, 2021, 112 deaths, 344 hospitalizations, and 25,954 cases with a VB infection were reported among Alaska residents aged ≥5 years. These counts are provisional and subject to change as data are compiled and reviewed. In that same time frame, a total of 94,696 cases, 2,037 hospitalizations, and 634 deaths were reported.
• 73% of all cases, 83% of all hospitalizations, and 82% of deaths among Alaska residents aged ≥5 years from January 16–December 25, 2021 were in people who were not fully vaccinated. 
• More detailed information about hospitalizations, deaths, repeat and vaccine breakthrough infections among Alaska residents can also be found in the monthly report, which includes data through October.
• Age-standardized per capita rates of COVID-19 cases by vaccination status are updated weekly. Some COVID-19 cases with specimen collection in the immediate past week (indicated by the grey box) may have not yet been reported or counted.

• The following table shows by region the number of vaccine breakthrough cases and the number of cases among persons who are not fully vaccinated.

**To protect privacy, data are excluded from rows in which any value is <5.

A variety of factors may affect the proportion of vaccine breakthrough cases by region. In communities with higher vaccination coverage, a larger proportion of cases is expected to occur among fully vaccinated persons. Other potential factors include the extent of prior infection in a region and differences in testing practices between regions.

COVID-19 Communication Resources

• DHSS Insights Blog: Celebrate the Holidays Safely
• Revised webpages:
• COVID-19 Vaccine Information for all Alaskans 
• COVID-19 treatments for hospitalized patient
• COVID-19 Outpatient Treatment
• Guidance for COVID-19 Testing in Alaska
• New video PSAs to share:
• 16+ Booster Dose
• Bring Back the Light
• Pediatric Vaccine
• Holiday Vaccine
• Home Test
• Home Test Social Media
• Pediatric Vaccine: Dr. Adam Grove
• Boosters for anyone 18+
• COVID-19 Vaccines for Ages 5+
• Holiday Flu
• Why Not Get Vaccinated?
• Layer up, Alaska! 
• Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Flyer: 5 Reasons to Vaccinate for Ages 5+
• Over-the-Counter Testing Flyer: At-home COVID-19 tests
• Request support from DHSS
• DHSS offers free presentations upon request to groups about COVID-19, the vaccines, COVID-19 prevention, or other health topics upon request. Learn more or request a presentation on our Speaker’s Bureau web page. 
• DHSS offers support for one-time or reoccurring COVID-19 vaccination events. Submit your request for support and provide information about the event by filling out this form.
• Can’t tune into a live ECHO videoconference but don’t want to miss out on the latest updates? The full schedule of ECHO sessions and access to COVID-19 ECHO videos and slideshows are available for download anytime on the DHSS ECHO web page.

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

Cases by Week of Onset and Age

Note: Quality assurance efforts are ongoing to attribute cases to the correct date on the onset date epi curve. Some recent cases will be reattributed to different weeks.

Cases by Week of Onset and Race

Note: Quality assurance efforts are ongoing to attribute cases to the correct date on the onset date epi curve. Some recent cases will be reattributed to different weeks. Race abbreviations include AI/AN (American Indian or Alaska Native), Asian/NHOPI (Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander), and UI/Unknown (Under investigation or unknown).

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: data.coronavirus.alaska.gov. All dashboard data are updated Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (except holidays). 
• For DHSS media inquiries, please contact clinton.bennett@alaska.gov

Additional ECHO session details: