Covid-19 cases in Alaska: New daily record this week
The current alert level is "high" in all of Alaskas regions. (Photo of Juneau by Kimberly Vardeman / Flickr).
Covid-19 cases increases in Alaska. This week, Alaska reported a new daily record of 763 cases.
763 new cases and 8 new coronavirus deaths were reported in Alaska on December 3rd, the New York Times Coronavirus Map and Case Count states.
That is the highest recorded number of new cases in a single day in Alaska.
The state has seen an increase in Covid-19 cases over the past weeks, with a daily average of 634 cases in the last seven days, NYT reports.
On a national basis, Alaska is among the states where new cases are higher and staying high.
Tuesday, Anchorage, the largest municpality in Alaska, has entered a monthlong "hunker-down" to curb the spread of the virus.
"Anchorage is on the brink of overwhelming our public health capacity, endangering the lives and wellbeing of the people of Anchorage. For several weeks in a row, we have been reaching dangerous new highs in the numbers of new cases and numbers of people hospitalized for COVID-19. To reduce the level of COVID-19 transmission in our community, we need individuals to temporarily return to hunker-down behaviors and we need businesses to temporarily close where they cannot keep individuals six feet apart, masked, and prevent lingering," the emergency order states.
Increase in hospitalizations
According to Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, a total of 129 people have died from Covid-19 in Alaska.
While the state has one of the lowest death rates in the U.S., “state officials have said it is difficult to compare Alaska to other states because of its unique geography and vulnerable health care system,” Anchorage Daily News writes.
The number of hospitalization due to Covid-19 has furthermore increased since October. According to the health department, 142 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 are currently hospitalized.
Hospital capacity and staffing is a “significant concern” in the state, Alaska Public Media writes, referring to information from the Department of Health and Social Services.
Alaska has 24 free ICU beds available, and Anchorage, where the bulk of the state’s healthcare capacity is located, is reporting just five free ICU beds.
