DHSS Press Release: Alaska reports record number of COVID-19 cases with 231 cases; 186 Alaskans and 45 nonresidents newly diagnosed

Alaska Department of Health sent this bulletin at 07/26/2020 05:12 PM AKDT

DHSS Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Clinton Bennett, DHSS, 907-269-4996, clinton.bennett@alaska.gov

Alaska reports record number of COVID-19 cases with 231 cases; 186 Alaskans and 45 nonresidents newly diagnosed

July 26, 2020 ANCHORAGE – The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services today announced the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in Alaska for a single day so far – 231 newly diagnosed individuals. Of these, 186 are residents and 45 are nonresidents.  Of the nonresident cases, 34 are in the seafood industry, one is in the visitor industry and 10 are unknown.

Please see today’s case count summary for details or visit the Alaska Coronavirus Response Hub.  

Today’s record high case count for Alaska’s residents can be attributed to a variety of factors, including widespread community transmission from social gatherings, several large seafood industry outbreaks and a backlog of test results that were just entered into the database. Over half of these results are initially submitted via fax, and some are reported by phone, which requires manual verification and then data entry into our data hub. Test results arrive in batches and are not always submitted daily, which can add to the backlog.

“Today’s high case count is partly due to our data team working to enter this backlogged data, but it also clearly shows we are experiencing widespread community transmission,” said Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Adam Crum. “We have been in the management phase of this pandemic since May. In order for us to continue to manage the virus, we need to stop this current surge. Daily cases over 100 will soon diminish our hospital bed capacity. Now is the time for Alaskans to keep their social circles small, maintain 6 feet of distance from others, and wear a face covering when 6 feet can’t be maintained. Let’s work together to slow the spread, to protect our vulnerable, and to keep our businesses and economy running. It’s critical that Alaskans take this seriously. More announcements on mitigation strategy will be coming over the next couple days.”

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