Alaska Department of Health & Social Services Weekly Case Update
October 3 — October 9, 2021

Intermediate Statewide transmission Rt1.02	HIGH Statewide alert status 834.5	HIGH ALERT Hospital capacity	HIGH Test positivity 10.65%	63.9% of Alaskans aged 12+ are vaccinated
Red- Rt >1.2 Orange- Rt 1-1.2 Yellow- Rt <1	7-day case rate per 100,000 population. Red-  ≥100 Orange- 50-99.99 Yellow- 10-49.99 Blue- 0-9.99	Multiple hospitals in Anchorage were at surge capacity the weekend of October 9th and October 10th due to high volumes of both COVID and non-COVID patients.	Red->5% Orange- 2-5% Yellow- <2%	This includes people with at least one dose. Estimated AK population 12 and older of 607,022 from the AK Department of Labor & Workforce Development.

Case Trends

• Alaska currently has the highest number of cases in the last seven days per 100,000 population among the 50 states.
• Hospital capacity is reaching a point in Alaska where 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 10 years younger than in 2020.
  • Among those hospitalized due to COVID-19 and with specimen collection dates from January 16, 2021 through October 9, 2021, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated patients had a median age 15 years younger than fully vaccinated patients.

• Very high levels of COVID-19 transmission are occurring throughout much of Alaska.
  • All four of the largest boroughs (Municipality of Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Fairbanks North Star Borough, and Kenai Peninsula Borough) continue to exhibit very high levels of community transmission.
  • Rates in Juneau are quite high as well.
• The number of COVID cases each week appears to have plateaued statewide and in many boroughs and census areas. In Fairbanks North Star Borough there is evidence of modest declines in the number of new cases each week. The incidence of COVID-19 in the Municipality of Anchorage appears to have either plateaued or be increasing. Regardless of the trajectory, intense community transmission is continuing to occur and is causing significant illness, death, and demand on the health care system.
• 5,695 cases were reported in Alaskans between October 3–October 9. This is a 21.4% decrease from the number of cases reported the week before. However, a large number of backlogged cases were not counted the week of September 26 and consequently the nominal decrease in reported cases does not reflect the true trajectory of COVID-19 cases in Alaska.
• The 7-day test-positivity rate in Alaska is nearly the highest it has ever been, indicating widespread community transmission and the need for more testing.
• While the intensity of COVID-19 transmission varies substantially between communities off the road system, COVID-19 cases are regularly reported from nearly all boroughs and census areas and some communities are experiencing extremely widespread transmission.

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. Currently available COVID vaccines will help protect you, your family, and your community against COVID-19, including the delta variant.
• 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, if they are unvaccinated, to quarantine.
• If you test positive and you’re at increased risk for severe COVID, obtain monoclonal antibody treatment. This has been shown to be an effective treatment for reducing the risk of hospitalization. This treatment works best when given early.
• Persons at high risk includes but is 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.

Borough/Census Area	Alert Level September 20	Alert Level September 27	Alert Level October 4	Alert Level October 11
Count	Rate	Count	Rate	Count	Rate	Count	Rate
Anchorage Municipality	2,570	889.4	3,125	1,081.4	2,272	786.2	2,471	855.1
Fairbanks North Star Borough	733	754.4	1,431	1,472.8	872	897.5	702	722.5
Juneau City and Borough	250	786.8	282	887.5	182	572.8	150	472.1
Kenai Peninsula Borough	369	626.1	706	1,198.0	481	816.2	663	1,125.0
Matanuska-Susitna Region	771	718.5	1,848	1,722.2	926	863.0	898	836.9
Nome Census Area	23	235.4	70	716.6	63	644.9	103	1,054.4
North Slope Borough	255	2,609.8	218	2,231.1	151	1,545.4	56	573.1
Northwest Arctic Borough	54	712.1	201	2,650.7	152	2,004.5	163	2,149.5
Chugach Census Area	24	355.5	92	1,362.8	57	844.3	59	873.9
Copper River Census Area	16	592.8*	39	1,445.0	33	1,222.7	26	963.3
Denali Borough	9	498.3*	16	885.9*	8	443.0*	17	941.3*
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	51	735.2	50	720.8	44	634.3	36	519.0
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	30	594.8	47	931.8	52	1,030.9	34	674.1
Haines Borough	16	634.9*	41	1,627.0	10	396.8*	9	357.1*
Petersburg Borough	2	**	0	**	48	1,505.2	16	501.7*
Sitka City and Borough	31	363.7	42	492.8	27	316.8	23	269.9
Skagway Municipality	1	**	3	**	6	523.1*	1	**
Wrangell City and Borough	1	**	1	**	9	378.3*	2	**
Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon	4	**	26	981.9	24	906.3	47	1,774.9
Ketchikan Gateway Borough	69	504.5	49	358.3	79	577.6	63	460.6
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	29	476.2	41	673.2	14	229.9*	3	**
Bethel Census Area	178	996.2	173	268.2	222	1,242.4	238	1,332.0
Kusilvak Census Area	56	692.4	51	630.6	47	581.1	91	1,125.1
Aleutians East Borough	2	**	0	**	13	444.4*	1	**
Aleutians West Census Area	6	108.2*	22	396.8	22	396.8	4	**
Dillingham Census Area	44	921.9	75	1,571.3	60	1,257.1	61	1,278.0
Kodiak Island Borough	86	681.9	200	1,585.9	192	1,522.5	131	1,038.8
Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula	18	743.8*	66	2,727.3	32	1,322.3	15	619.8*
Statewide	5,699	781.9	8,915	1,223.1	6,099	836.7	6,083	834.5

*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 ≥12 years 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. Scientific studies have shown that two doses of an mRNA vaccine are more effective than one dose of an mRNA vaccine, especially against emerging variants of concern.
• 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.
• Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster doses are approved and recommended by both the FDA and CDC for certain persons—including any person aged 65 or older—who received the primary series of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine 6 months ago. Many Alaskans who are at the highest risk for COVID-19 are now eligible to receive a Pfizer booster dose. Learn more about who should get a booster dose and to find COVID-19 vaccines near you at covidvax.alaska.gov.
• 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

Borough/Census Area	October 12
Aleutians East Borough	89.3%
Aleutians West Census Area	75.5%
Anchorage Municipality	68.1%
Bethel Census Area	80.6%
Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula	93.1%
Denali Borough	73.8%
Dillingham Census Area	66.6%
Fairbanks North Star Borough	55.8%
Haines Borough	75.4%
Juneau City and Borough	83.8%
Kenai Peninsula Borough	53.2%
Ketchikan Gateway Borough	71.8%
Kodiak Island Borough	73.8%
Kusilvak Census Area	84.3%
Matanuska-Susitna Borough	46.7%
Nome Census Area	85.8%
North Slope Borough	42.3%
Northwest Arctic Borough	69.9%
Petersburg Borough	70.2%
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	71.5%
Sitka City and Borough	84.1%
Skagway Municipality	87.5%
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	38.5%
Valdez-Cordova Census Area	68.0%
Wrangell City and Borough	66.9%
Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon	81.5%
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	84.4%
Statewide	63.9%

New Hospitalizations and Deaths

• Cumulative hospitalizations increased by 76 to 2,527. Hospitalization reports often lag when a case was initially reported.
• 18.8% of hospitalized patients in Alaska had COVID-19 as of October 12, 2021.
• On October 9th, there were 177 persons with COVID-19 in AK hospitals, which is a 16.9% decrease relative to the week before when there were 213 persons hospitalized.
• The cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths among Alaska residents increased by 16 to 574. It is common to take some time for a death to be reported and verified, and deaths that occurred during October 3–October 9 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 new Cases Dashboard.

Variants of Concern	Cases Identified	Change from Previous Report	First Identified in Alaska
Delta (B.1.617.2-like)	3,453	+266	18 May 2021
Variants of Interest	Cases Identified	Change from Previous Report	First Identified in Alaska
Alpha (B.1.1.7)	461	0	20 December 2020
Beta (B.1.351)	7	0	20 March 2021
Epsilon (B.1.427/429)	140	0	24 December 2020
Eta (B.1.525)	1	0	16 March 2021
Gamma (P.1/P.1.1/P.1.2)	75	0	8 February 2021
Iota (B.1.526)	24	0	4 February 2021
Mu (B.1.621)	161	0	6 May 2021
Zeta (P.2)	4	0	27 January 2021

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 ≥12 years with a specimen collection date from January 16–October 9, 2021. 
  • From January 16–October 9, 2021, 48 deaths, 193 hospitalizations, and 15,330 cases with a VB infection were reported among Alaska residents aged ≥12 years. These counts are provisional and subject to change as data are compiled and reviewed. In that same time frame, a total of 57,745 cases, 1,358 hospitalizations, and 278 deaths were reported.
  • 73% of all cases, 86% of all hospitalizations, and 83% of deaths among Alaska residents aged ≥12 years from January 16–October 9, 2021 were in people who were not fully vaccinated. 
  • Specimens from VB infections are described in the “COVID-19 Variants” tab of the new Cases Dashboard. More detailed information about hospitalizations, deaths, and vaccine breakthrough infections among Alaskan residents can also be found in the monthly report.
  • Age-standardized per capita rates of COVID-19 cases by vaccination status are updated weekly. Many COVID-19 cases with specimen collection in the immediate past week (indicated by the grey box) may have not yet been reported or counted.

COVID-19 Communication Resources

• The new COVID-19 monthly report for August 2021 is now available. It’s full of helpful data and information to help Alaskans understand Alaska’s trends. Check it out: COVID-19 Update Hospitalizations, Deaths, and Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, through August 2020, Section of Epidemiology, Alaska Division of Public Health
• Video PSAs to share:
  • Pregnancy and COVID with Dr. Lisa Rabinowitz
  • Layer up, Alaska! 
  • Pfizer Booster PSA
  • Rising Tide with Dr. Zink
  • Immunity with Dr. Zink
• Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are authorized and recommended by both the FDA and CDC for certain populations. Many Alaskans who are at the highest risk for COVID-19 are now eligible to receive a Pfizer booster dose. Learn more about who should get a booster dose and to find COVID-19 vaccines near you at covidvax.alaska.gov.
• Recent social media posts and graphics to share:  Alaska Responders Relief Line| Winterize +Immunize | Starting a Family?
• Check out the new Sleeves Up for School dashboard showing vaccine rates for 12-18 year old Alaska residents. 
• Give AK a Shot sweepstakes: Weekly statewide drawings continue through Oct. 30 for newly vaccinated individuals and one drawing for individuals who received their vaccination between December 2020 and Sept. 1, 2021. Share their PSA
• Bounce Back Alaska: Resiliency resources for youth, parents, educators, and families
• 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.

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

Additional ECHO session details:

• Special Pop-Up Session: Alaska Medical Providers: Applying Crisis Standards of Care in Your Practice 
  • Tuesday, October 12, 7:00-8:00 PM 
  • Register for this special Pop-Up Event and our regular Alaska Medical Providers Series.
• Perinatal ECHO Session: Critical Congenital Heart Defects
  • Thursday, October 21, 6:00-7:00pm
  • Register at: https://echo.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwlce-hqTIjHtAfH-NNvFOK3shfHD3Np92O
  • This session will feature a didactic presentation on critical congenital heart defects in Alaska by Dr. James Christiansen, pediatric cardiologist, and Chris Barnett, epidemiologist and program manager of the Alaska Birth Defects Registry. We will also have case presentations by pediatric cardiologists, Dr. Scott Wellmann and Dr. Kevin Kollins. As always, we will have ample time for Q&A and discussion with presenters and the hub team.
• Alaska Medical Provider ECHO (formerly COVID-19 for AK Healthcare Providers)
  • Bi-monthly on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7-8 pm
  • This ECHO aims to increase knowledge and share best practices among medical providers across Alaska as well as to increase access to information for those living in rural areas of the state.
  • Register for our Alaska Medical Providers ECHO here: https://echo.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwud-yuqT4pGNSr7F2eJ1jscT16rUsoGAj-
• School Health ECHO
  • Every Monday from 3:30-4:30 p.m Register
  • The School Health ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for professionals in the education setting (administrators, school-based nurses, etc.) to interface with a team of medical and education experts in Alaska.
• Vaccine ECHO for Providers
  • Weekly on Tuesday from 2-3 p.m. Register
  • The Vaccine ECHO for providers provides planning and operation updates to vaccine providers across Alaska, while answering any questions you may have.
• Palliative Care ECHO
  • Monthly on the first Tuesday from 12-1 p.m.
  • This monthly ECHO is for all Alaskan healthcare disciplines supporting patients with serious illness, and aims to provide support and up-to-date information regarding Palliative Care during this period of COVID-19.
• Public Science ECHO
  • Weekly on Wednesday from 12-1 p.m. register via Zoom
  • The Alaska Public Health Science ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for the general public to interface with our Public Health Leadership Team to explore the science of the COVID-19 virus, other public health topics, and current best practices. Or view via concurrent livestream to Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/akechoprograms
• Local Government Public Health ECHO
  • Monthly on the third Wednesday from 3-4 p.m. Register
  • The Local Government Public Health Analysis ECHO is a virtual learning environment intended for local Alaska government leaders to interact with the State Public Health Leadership team and focuses on pandemic mitigation tools available, and how to use them.
• Long Term Care Facilities ECHO 
  • Second Wednesday of the month from 4-5 p.m. Register 
  • Please join other staff and administrators of Alaska’s assisted living homes and residential care facilities to gather, learn, share, and grow. COVID has disrupted the fabric of our daily life and we can always learn from each other as we adjust to the new normal.
• Healthcare Specific Situational Awareness ECHO
  • Weekly on Thursday from 12-1 p.m.  Register
  • The Healthcare Specific Situational ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for healthcare professionals to interface with our Public Health Leadership Team to explore current best practices and the most recent information related to Public Health.
• Perinatal ECHO
  • Monthly on 3rd Thursday from 6-7 p.m. Register
  • The Alaska Perinatal ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for medical providers caring for pregnant patients and their newborns.
• EMS ECHO
  • Monthly on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday 1-2 p.m Register
  • The EMS ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for Emergency Medical Services and related personnel in Alaska to amplify best practices. Sessions are topic-driven and typically include a guest presenter or a brief lecture with an interactive case or process discussion.

UNIFIED COMMAND DISCUSSES DASHBOARD, VACCINES, AND MITIGATIONS

SITKA, October 13, 2021 – Incident Commander Craig Warren reported Unified Command was and would continue to meet every three weeks since there were no projects. However, Unified Command would continue to keep member’s listed positions so that if issues were to arise, a meeting could come together quickly. He stated that the City and Borough of Sitka’s IT team was having difficulty with automating the COVID-19 Dashboard to update as soon as data posted to the state site so there were fluctuations in the timing that the data was posted. He also relayed the vaccination rate system was built to account for a first and second dose, but the third and booster doses were affecting the numbers. He said the state was trying to correct it, but that in the meantime, there may be glitches.

Shoshauna Schmidt filling in for Dr. Bruhl, Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) Chief Medical Officer and Incident Commander reported one COVID-19 positive patient at the hospital. She gave an update on administering COVID-19 vaccines, stating that SEARHC had given 900 third dose/booster vaccines which was approved in late September. She said SEARHC had completed over 1,200 flu shots as well. She told that SEARHC was offering combined clinics for both the booster and flu vaccines two days a week; the next clinic would be October 19, 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. She stated the clinics would continue through the fall and winter as Moderna and Johnson and Johnson booster COVID-19 vaccines became approved as well vaccine approval for broader populations including pediatrics hoping by early November. She stated that the recommendation for cross vaccinating was to continue with the same vaccine brand.

Planning Section Chief Rob Janik reported distributed tests and BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Cards and would be leaning on SEARHC if need be, for supplies.

Public Information Officer Melissa Henshaw reported few calls and questions coming in along with continued social media posts to relay information.

Janelle Vanasse, Superintendent of Mt. Edgecumbe High School (MEHS) reported continued mitigations that seemed to be working well. She stated there were no positive COVID-19 cases currently on campus. She congratulated Region 5 and all the Southeast Alaska schools for their commitment to require mitigation for sports including those coming from outside the region. She said that a team was going to come to town, but because of testing requirements, they discovered several COVID-19 positive cases on that team which allowed them to take care of that and avoid spread. She noted the common message to ask visiting teams to test before coming and felt like it was going to make a big difference for all teams in the region to continue sports for the students.

Sitka School District (SSD) Superintendent Frank Hauser reported four currently active COVID-19 cases associated with the SSD buildings which represented less than 0.4% of the total student population. He stated their mitigations were insuring that previous active cases were declining. He reminded parents to keep students’ home if they were sick or if anyone in the household or among close contacts had COVID-19 symptoms or COVID-19 like symptoms. He said data showed that school had started with more COVID in the community than other regions, but that there had been less COVID-19 or related interruptions in the schools because of mitigations and working together with SSD, the community, parents and students which kept students in schools and schools open. He stated that COVID-19 cases seemed to be on the decline in Sitka and hoped that the downward trend continued and noted mitigations would shift accordingly. In the meantime, he said that they were miles ahead of where they were last year when students were still learning remotely. He stated the students had already completed a successful quarter, full-time, in-person instruction. He met with Sitka High School Student Council, and they relayed that the students were grateful to have a full-time, in-person school day even if the day included masks and mitigations. He said a plan was in place that was working, the schools were in-person, and they would keep steadily moving forward.

Trish White, Harry Race Pharmacist reported continued COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Friday mornings, and seasonal flu vaccine clinics in the afternoon which included the 65 and older high dose vaccine. She stated they had administered approximately 300 to 350 third/booster doses. She said they were waiting to hear possibly tomorrow from the meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to decide about booster doses for Moderna and Johnson and Johnson along with waiting for authorization for children to be announced. The public may sign up at http://www.sitkapharmacies.com.

Anne Davis, Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) reported continued office closure and staff was being tested every two weeks.

Public Health Nurse, Grace Roller reported continued active cases that was keeping Sitka in the red (high alert level) and although it was slowing down, there had been an uptick today. She stated Public Health was investigating them as they come in. She stated all schools were doing a great job with their mitigation strategy noting how well-contained they were for the cases that they had. She said they were gearing up for vaccination season with a lot of calls and traffic for that although they have not had received their flu vaccines yet, but they were coming. She told of excitement for vaccination for children hopefully in November. She relayed that she had heard that the dose crossover was recommended to continue with the same brand unless it was not available, and someone felt like they needed the third dose. She stated that Public Health Nurse, Denise Ewing would be back in the office in November.

Due to the High Alert Level in Sitka, Sitka Unified Command recommends continued mitigation: face coverings are strongly encouraged for individuals regardless of vaccination status, maintaining physical distance of 6 feet along with following CDC guidelines CDC Guidelines.

We urge citizens to remain diligent and practice proper hygiene measures, such as washing your hands often, avoiding close contact with others. In addition, get tested but stay home if you feel ill, wear a face covering when around others, and clean and disinfect objects and surfaces on a regular basis.

COVID-19 symptoms are similar to the flu – fever, aching, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, and sometimes decreased sense of taste and smell. If you are concerned you might have contracted the coronavirus contact the COVID hotline at 966.8799. Outside of normal clinic hours, patients can contact the SEARHC 24/7 Nurse Advice Line at 1.800.613.0560 to be triaged by a registered nurse. 

The Sitka Emergency Unified Command continues to urge citizens to enroll for a vaccination online with Harry Race Pharmacy at Harry Race Pharmacy and with SEARHC at https://covid19.searhc.org/. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 vaccines have demonstrated to be safe and effective. COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of people spreading the virus. Being vaccinated is the best way to protect our community.

The Emergency Operations Center encourages residents to prepare for any local emergency by ensuring each family member has a 14- day emergency supply kit, including any necessary medications.

For information on the local pandemic response, visit https://cityofsitka.org or https://covid19.searhc.org.

# # #

Alaska Department of Health & Social Services Weekly Case Update
September 26 — October 2, 2021

Case Trends

• Alaska currently has the highest number of cases in the last seven days per 100,000 population among the 50 states.
• Hospital capacity is reaching a point in Alaska where 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 9 years younger than in 2020.
  • Among those hospitalized due to COVID-19 and with specimen collection dates from January 16, 2021 through October 2, 2021, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated patients had a median age 15 years younger than fully vaccinated patients.

• Very high levels of COVID-19 transmission are occurring throughout much of Alaska.
  • All four of the largest boroughs (Municipality of Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Fairbanks North Star Borough, and Kenai Peninsula Borough) continue to exhibit very high levels of community transmission.
  • Rates in Juneau are quite high as well.
• The incidence of COVID-19 cases appears to have at least leveled off and might be decreasing. Regardless of the trajectory, intense community transmission is continuing to occur and is causing significant illness, death, and demand on the health care system.
• 7,242 cases were reported in Alaskans between September 26–October 2. This is a 7.8% decrease from the week before. (A large backlog of lab reports was processed over the past two weeks, which increased the number of cases reported. The weekly change in reported cases may not reflect the trajectory of COVID-19 cases in Alaska.)
• The 7-day test-positivity rate in Alaska is nearly the highest it has ever been, indicating widespread community transmission and the need for more testing.
• While the intensity of COVID-19 transmission varies substantially between communities off the road system, COVID-19 cases are regularly reported from nearly all boroughs and census areas and some communities are experiencing extremely widespread transmission.

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. Currently available COVID vaccines will help protect you, your family, and your community against COVID-19, including the delta variant.
• 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, if they are unvaccinated, to quarantine.
• If you test positive and you’re at increased risk for severe COVID, obtain monoclonal antibody treatment. This has been shown to be an effective treatment for reducing the risk of hospitalization. This treatment works best when given early.
• Persons at high risk includes but is 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.

Borough/Census Area	Alert Level September 13	Alert Level September 20	Alert Level September 27	Alert Level October 4
Count	Rate	Count	Rate	Count	Rate	Count	Rate
Anchorage Municipality	1,571	543.7	2,570	889.4	3,125	1,081.4	2,272	786.2
Fairbanks North Star Borough	628	646.4	733	754.4	1,431	1,472.8	872	897.5
Juneau City and Borough	100	314.7	250	786.8	282	887.5	182	572.8
Kenai Peninsula Borough	275	466.6	369	626.1	706	1,198.0	481	816.2
Matanuska-Susitna Region	741	690.6	771	718.5	1,848	1,722.2	926	863.0
Nome Census Area	31	317.3	23	235.4	70	716.6	63	644.9
North Slope Borough	242	2,476.7	255	2,609.8	218	2,231.1	151	1,545.4
Northwest Arctic Borough	29	382.4	54	712.1	201	2,650.7	152	2,004.5
Chugach Census Area	26	385.1	24	355.5	92	1,362.8	57	844.3
Copper River Census Area	25	926.3	16	592.8*	39	1,445.0	33	1,222.7
Denali Borough	5	**	9	498.3*	16	885.9*	8	443.0*
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	38	547.8	51	735.2	50	720.8	44	634.3
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	31	614.6	30	594.8	47	931.8	52	1,030.9
Haines Borough	6	238.1*	16	634.9*	41	1,627.0	10	396.8*
Petersburg Borough	0	**	2	**	0	**	48	1,505.2
Sitka City and Borough	10	117.3*	31	363.7	42	492.8	27	316.8
Skagway Municipality	2	**	1	**	3	**	6	523.1*
Wrangell City and Borough	4	**	1	**	1	**	9	378.3*
Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon	1	**	4	**	26	981.9	24	906.3
Ketchikan Gateway Borough	68	497.2	69	504.5	49	358.3	79	577.6
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	23	377.7	29	476.2	41	673.2	14	229.9*
Bethel Census Area	148	828.3	178	996.2	173	268.2	222	1,242.4
Kusilvak Census Area	29	358.6	56	692.4	51	630.6	47	581.1
Aleutians East Borough	4	**	2	**	0	**	13	444.4*
Aleutians West Census Area	8	144.3*	6	108.2*	22	396.8	22	396.8
Dillingham Census Area	38	796.1	44	921.9	75	1,571.3	60	1,257.1
Kodiak Island Borough	49	388.5	86	681.9	200	1,585.9	192	1,522.5
Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula	2	**	18	743.8*	66	2,727.3	32	1,322.3
Statewide	4,137	567.6	5,699	781.9	8,915	1,223.1	6,099	836.7

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

Vaccination

• Anyone aged ≥12 years 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. Scientific studies have shown that two doses of an mRNA vaccine are more effective than one dose of an mRNA vaccine, especially against emerging variants of concern.
• 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.

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster doses are approved and recommended by both the FDA and CDC for certain persons—including any person aged 65 or older—who received the primary series of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine 6 months ago. Many Alaskans who are at the highest risk for COVID-19 are now eligible to receive a Pfizer booster dose. Learn more about who should get a booster dose and to find COVID-19 vaccines near you at covidvax.alaska.gov.

• 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 ≥12 years who received one or more doses of vaccine.

Borough/Census Area	October 5
Aleutians East Borough	89.0%
Aleutians West Census Area	75.4%
Anchorage Municipality	67.8%
Bethel Census Area	80.1%
Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula	92.5%
Denali Borough	73.2%
Dillingham Census Area	65.9%
Fairbanks North Star Borough	55.5%
Haines Borough	75.0%
Juneau City and Borough	83.5%
Kenai Peninsula Borough	52.8%
Ketchikan Gateway Borough	71.6%
Kodiak Island Borough	73.4%
Kusilvak Census Area	83.8%
Matanuska-Susitna Borough	46.4%
Nome Census Area	85.4%
North Slope Borough	42.0%
Northwest Arctic Borough	69.2%
Petersburg Borough	69.9%
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	71.0%
Sitka City and Borough	84.0%
Skagway Municipality	87.5%
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	38.1%
Valdez-Cordova Census Area	66.7%
Wrangell City and Borough	66.5%
Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon	81.3%
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	84.2%
Statewide	63.5%

New Hospitalizations and Deaths

• Cumulative hospitalizations increased by 109 to 2,451. Hospitalization reports often lag when a case was initially reported.
• 20.7% of hospitalized patients in Alaska had COVID-19 as of October 5, 2021.
• On October 2nd, there were 213 persons with COVID-19 in AK hospitals, which is a 5.3% decrease relative to the week before when there were 225 persons hospitalized.
• The cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths among Alaska residents increased by 26 to 558. It is common to take some time for a death to be reported and verified, and deaths that occurred during September 26–October 2 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 new Cases Dashboard.

Variants of Concern	Cases Identified	Change from Previous Report	First Identified in Alaska
Alpha (B.1.1.7)	461	+2	20 December 2020
Beta (B.1.351)	7	0	20 March 2021
Gamma (P.1/P.1.1/P.1.2)	75	0	8 February 2021
Delta (B.1.617.2-like)	3,187	+574	30 May 2021
Variants of Interest	Cases Identified	Change from Previous Report	First Identified in Alaska
Epsilon (B.1.427/429)	140	+3	24 December 2020
Eta (B.1.525)	1	0	16 March 2021
Iota (B.1.526)	24	0	4 February 2021
Mu (B.1.621)	161	+2	6 May 2021
Zeta (P.2)	4	0	27 January 2021

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 ≥12 years with a specimen collection date from January 16–October 2, 2021. 
• From January 16–October 2, 2021, 43 deaths, 172 hospitalizations, and 13,183 cases with a VB infection were reported among Alaska residents aged ≥12 years. These counts are provisional and subject to change as data are compiled and reviewed. In that same time frame, a total of 52,525 cases, 1,278 hospitalizations, and 252 deaths were reported.
• 75% of all cases, 87% of all hospitalizations, and 83% of deaths among Alaska residents aged ≥12 years from January 16–October 2, 2021 were in people who were not fully vaccinated. 
• Specimens from VB infections are described in the “COVID-19 Variants” tab of the new Cases Dashboard. More detailed information about hospitalizations, deaths, and vaccine breakthrough infections among Alaskan residents can also be found in the monthly report.
• Age-standardized per capita rates of COVID-19 cases by vaccination status are updated weekly. Many COVID-19 cases with specimen collection in the immediate past week (indicated by the grey box) may have not yet been reported or counted.

COVID-19 Communication Resources

• We have a new 30-second animated public service announcement about layering on COVID-19 prevention this winter. Please share widely: Layer up, Alaska! 
• Other video PSAs to share:
  • Pregnancy and COVID with Dr. Lisa Rabinowitz
• Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are approved and recommended by both the FDA and CDC for certain populations. Many Alaskans who are at the highest risk for COVID-19 are now eligible to receive a Pfizer booster dose. Learn more about who should get a booster dose and to find COVID-19 vaccines near you at covidvax.alaska.gov.
• Recent social media posts and graphics to share: Falling leaves, fat tires and flu shots | Mask up, Alaska | Caring for dying patients |Test Before Tok
• Check out the newly updated COVID-19 cases dashboard. 
  • Also, the COVID-19 vaccine dashboard will soon have a special Sleeves Up for School dashboard showing vaccine rates for 12-18 year old Alaska residents. It’s not live yet but should be visible to the public soon. 
• Give AK a Shot sweepstakes: Weekly statewide drawings continue through Oct. 30 for newly vaccinated individuals and one drawing for individuals who received their vaccination between December 2020 and Sept. 1, 2021. Share their PSA
• Start the 2021-22 school year healthy and strong
  • Webpage: School health information for the new school year
  • DHSS: Return to School After Symptoms form (PDF) for physicians to fill out and provide to parents for when a child returns to school after testing positive for COVID-19
  • Bounce Back Alaska: Resiliency resources for youth, parents, educators, and families
• 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.

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

Additional ECHO session details:

• Alaska Medical Provider ECHO (formerly COVID-19 for AK Healthcare Providers)
  Bi-monthly on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7-8 pm
  • This ECHO aims to increase knowledge and share best practices among medical providers across Alaska as well as to increase access to information for those living in rural areas of the state.
  • Register for our Alaska Medical Providers ECHO here: https://echo.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwud-yuqT4pGNSr7F2eJ1jscT16rUsoGAj-
• School Health ECHO
  Every Monday from 3:30-4:30 p.m Register
  • The School Health ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for professionals in the education setting (administrators, school-based nurses, etc.) to interface with a team of medical and education experts in Alaska.
• Vaccine ECHO for Providers
  Weekly on Tuesday from 2-3 p.m. Register
• Palliative Care ECHO
  Monthly on the first Tuesday from 12-1 p.m.
  • This monthly ECHO is for all Alaskan healthcare disciplines supporting patients with serious illness, and aims to provide support and up-to-date information regarding Palliative Care during this period of COVID-19.
• Public Science ECHO
  Weekly on Wednesday from 12-1 p.m. register via Zoom
  • The Alaska Public Health Science ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for the general public to interface with our Public Health Leadership Team to explore the science of the COVID-19 virus, other public health topics, and current best practices. Or view via concurrent livestream to Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/akechoprograms
• Local Government Public Health ECHO
  Monthly on the third Wednesday from 3-4 p.m. Register
  • The Local Government Public Health Analysis ECHO is a virtual learning environment intended for local Alaska government leaders to interact with the State Public Health Leadership team and focuses on pandemic mitigation tools available, and how to use them.
• Healthcare Specific Situational Awareness ECHO
  Weekly on Thursday from 12-1 p.m.  Register
  • The Healthcare Specific Situational ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for healthcare professionals to interface with our Public Health Leadership Team to explore current best practices and the most recent information related to Public Health.
• Perinatal ECHO
  Monthly on 3rd Thursday from 6-7 p.m. Register
  • The Alaska Perinatal ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for medical providers caring for pregnant patients and their newborns.
• EMS ECHO
  Monthly on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday 1-2 p.m Register
  • The EMS ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for Emergency Medical Services and related personnel in Alaska to amplify best practices. Sessions are topic-driven and typically include a guest presenter or a brief lecture with an interactive case or process discussion.

Based off of the Center for Disease Control and the State of Alaska’s models, Sitka Unified Command color-coded “alert system” is in place to keep the public informed on Sitka’s COVID-19 infection rate. Ordinance 2021-32 passed by the Assembly requires the use of a face covering in certain indoor setting while in high alert level. Go to www.cityofsitka.org to keep updated on the current alert level.

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

Intermediate Statewide transmission Rt1.16	HIGH Statewide alert status 1,223.1	HIGH ALERT Hospital capacity	HIGH Test positivity 9.27%	63% of Alaskans aged 12+ are vaccinated
Red- Rt >1.2 Orange- Rt 1-1.2 Yellow- Rt <1	7-day case rate per 100,000 population. Red-  ≥100 Orange- 50-99.99 Yellow- 10-49.99 Blue- 0-9.99	Multiple hospitals in Anchorage were at surge capacity the weekend of September 25th and September 26th due to high volumes of both COVID and non-COVID patients.	Red->5% Orange- 2-5% Yellow- <2%	This includes people with at least one dose. Estimated AK population 12 and older of 607,022 from the AK Department of Labor & Workforce Development.

Case Trends

• The number of reported COVID-19 cases in Alaska continued last week on an upwards trajectory.
• Alaska currently has the highest number of cases in the last seven days per 100,000 population among the 50 states.  
• Alaska has more people hospitalized with COVID-19 now than were hospitalized with COVID-19 at the peak of the previous surge in late November and early December 2020.
  • Among the 50 states, Alaska has the fourteenth largest percent increase in number of persons hospitalized with COVID-19 over the past two weeks.
  • Hospitalizations are continuing to occur in younger Alaskans, with the median age of persons hospitalized due to COVID-19 in 2021 being about 10 years younger than in 2020.
  • Among those hospitalized due to COVID-19 and with specimen collection dates from January 16, 2021 through September 25, 2021, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated patients had a median age 15 years younger than fully vaccinated patients.
  • Hospital capacity is reaching a point in Alaska where 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.

7-Day COVID-19 Case Rate — Statewide

• 7,852 cases were reported in Alaskans between September 19–September 25. This is a 43.8% increase from the week before. While the magnitude of this increase partially reflects technical and process changes that reduced the backlog of reported cases, the large number of cases reflects the widespread and intense level of COVID-19 transmission in Alaska.
  • All four of the largest boroughs (Municipality of Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Fairbanks North Star Borough, and Kenai Peninsula Borough) continue to exhibit very high levels of community transmission.
  • Rates in Juneau are quite high as well.
• The 7-day test-positivity rate in Alaska is nearly the highest it has ever been, indicating widespread community transmission and the need for more testing.
• While the intensity of COVID-19 transmission varies substantially between communities off the road system, COVID-19 cases are regularly reported from nearly all boroughs and census areas and some communities are experiencing extremely widespread transmission.

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. Currently available COVID vaccines will help protect you, your family, and your community against COVID-19, including the delta variant.
• 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, if they are unvaccinated, to quarantine.
• If you test positive and you’re at increased risk for severe COVID, obtain monoclonal antibody treatment. This has been shown to be an effective treatment for reducing the risk of hospitalization. This treatment works best when given early.
• Persons at high risk includes but is 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.

Borough/Census Area	Alert Level September 7	Alert Level September 13	Alert Level September 20	Alert Level September 27
Count	Rate	Count	Rate	Count	Rate	Count	Rate
Anchorage Municipality	1,399	484.1	1,571	543.7	2,570	889.4	3,125	1,081.4
Fairbanks North Star Borough	537	552.7	628	646.4	733	754.4	1,431	1,472.8
Juneau City and Borough	158	497.3	100	314.7	250	786.8	282	887.5
Kenai Peninsula Borough	471	799.2	275	466.6	369	626.1	706	1,198.0
Matanuska-Susitna Region	667	621.6	741	690.6	771	718.5	1,848	1,722.2
Nome Census Area	24	245.7	31	317.3	23	235.4	70	716.6
North Slope Borough	198	2,026.4	242	2,476.7	255	2,609.8	218	2,231.1
Northwest Arctic Borough	58	764.9	29	382.4	54	712.1	201	2,650.7
Chugach Census Area	21	311.1	26	385.1	24	355.5	92	1,362.8
Copper River Census Area	23	852.2	25	926.3	16	592.8*	39	1,445.0
Denali Borough	10	553.7*	5	**	9	498.3*	16	885.9*
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	22	317.1	38	547.8	51	735.2	50	720.8
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	23	456.0	31	614.6	30	594.8	47	931.8
Haines Borough	9	357.1*	6	238.1*	16	634.9*	41	1,627.0
Petersburg Borough	4	**	0	**	2	**	0	**
Sitka City and Borough	13	152.5*	10	117.3*	31	363.7	42	492.8
Skagway Municipality	1	**	2	**	1	**	3	**
Wrangell City and Borough	6	252.2*	4	**	1	**	1	**
Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon	4	**	1	**	4	**	26	981.9
Ketchikan Gateway Borough	88	643.4	68	497.2	69	504.5	49	358.3
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	38	624.0	23	377.7	29	476.2	41	673.2
Bethel Census Area	110	615.6	148	828.3	178	996.2	173	268.2
Kusilvak Census Area	34	420.4	29	358.6	56	692.4	51	630.6
Aleutians East Borough	9	307.7*	4	**	2	**	0	**
Aleutians West Census Area	20	360.8	8	144.3*	6	108.2*	22	396.8
Dillingham Census Area	64	1,340.9	38	796.1	44	921.9	75	1,571.3
Kodiak Island Borough	49	388.5	49	388.5	86	681.9	200	1,585.9
Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula	7	289.3*	2	**	18	743.8*	66	2,727.3
Statewide	4,067	558.0	4,137	567.6	5,699	781.9	8,915	1,223.1

• *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 ≥12 years 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. Scientific studies have shown that two doses of an mRNA vaccine are more effective than one dose of an mRNA vaccine, especially against emerging variants of concern.
• 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 ≥12 years who received one or more doses of vaccine.

Borough/Census Area	September 28
Aleutians East Borough	89.0%
Aleutians West Census Area	74.8%
Anchorage Municipality	67.2%
Bethel Census Area	79.5%
Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula	92.0%
Denali Borough	72.8%
Dillingham Census Area	65.1%
Fairbanks North Star Borough	54.8%
Haines Borough	74.7%
Juneau City and Borough	84.6%
Kenai Peninsula Borough	52.3%
Ketchikan Gateway Borough	71.1%
Kodiak Island Borough	73.0%
Kusilvak Census Area	83.4%
Matanuska-Susitna Borough	45.8%
Nome Census Area	84.9%
North Slope Borough	41.6%
Northwest Arctic Borough	68.3%
Petersburg Borough	69.1%
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	70.5%
Sitka City and Borough	83.5%
Skagway Municipality	87.5%
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	37.9%
Valdez-Cordova Census Area	66.7%
Wrangell City and Borough	66.0%
Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon	80.7%
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	83.3%
Statewide	63%

New Hospitalizations and Deaths

• Cumulative hospitalizations increased by 131 to 2,342. Hospitalization reports often lag when a case was initially reported.
• 22.3% of hospitalized patients in Alaska had COVID-19 as of September 28, 2021.
• On September 25th, there were 225 persons with COVID-19 in AK hospitals, which is an 11.9% increase relative to the week before when there were 201 persons hospitalized.
• The cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths among Alaska residents increased by 73 to 532. It is common to take some time for a death to be reported and verified, and deaths that occurred during September 19–September 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 new Cases Dashboard.

Variants of Concern	Cases Identified	Change from Previous Report	First Identified in Alaska
Alpha (B.1.1.7)	459	+2	20 December 2020
Beta (B.1.351)	7	0	20 March 2021
Gamma (P.1/P.1.1/P.1.2)	75	+1	8 February 2021
Delta (B.1.617.2-like)	2,613	+368	30 May 2021
Variants of Interest	Cases Identified	Change from Previous Report	First Identified in Alaska
Epsilon (B.1.427/429)	137	0	24 December 2020
Eta (B.1.525)	1	0	16 March 2021
Iota (B.1.526)	24	0	4 February 2021
Mu (B.1.621)	159	+3	6 May 2021
Zeta (P.2)	4	0	27 January 2021

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 ≥12 years with a specimen collection date from January 16–September 25, 2021. 
• From January 16–September 25, 2021, 41 deaths, 156 hospitalizations, and 11,497 cases with a VB infection were reported among Alaska residents aged ≥12 years. These counts are provisional and subject to change as data are compiled and reviewed. In that same time frame, a total of 47,996 cases, 1,201 hospitalizations, and 242 deaths were reported.
• 76% of all cases, 87% of all hospitalizations, and 83% of deaths among Alaska residents aged ≥12 years from January 16–September 25, 2021 were in people who were not fully vaccinated. 
• Specimens from VB infections are described in the “COVID-19 Variants” tab of the new Cases Dashboard. More detailed information about hospitalizations, deaths, and vaccine breakthrough infections among Alaskan residents can also be found in the monthly report.
• Age-standardized per capita rates of COVID-19 cases by vaccination status are updated weekly. Many COVID-19 cases with specimen collection in the immediate past week (indicated by the grey box) may have not yet been reported or counted.

COVID-19 Communication Resources

• Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are now approved and recommended by both the FDA and CDC for certain populations. Many Alaskans who are at the highest risk for COVID-19 are now eligible to receive a Pfizer booster dose. Learn more about who should get a booster dose and to find COVID-19 vaccines near you at covidvax.alaska.gov.
• The COVID-19 Cases Dashboard on the DHSS COVID-19 data hub just got a new and improved look. Some of the changes include improved cases summary information; expanded information about demographic data; improved alert level map; improved graphs on cases, deaths and hospitalizations; and a new percent change of cases graph.
• New online resources: Quarantine options for returning to school after being exposed | School Health ECHO slideshow addressing booster doses, new MMWRs
• Recent social media posts and graphics to share: Monoclonal antibody treatments | Vaccines minimize risk of hospitalization and death | Vaccines are safe and effective | Mask requirements prevent outbreaks in schools | Layer on protections | Why get vaccinated if you can still get COVID
• Video PSAs to share:
  • Natural and vaccine-induced immunity explained with Dr. Anne Zink
  • Supporting hospital capacity with Dr. Anne Zink
  • Who should get vaccinated with Dr. Anne Zink
  • Vaccination status trends in cases, deaths and hospitalizations with State Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin
• Give AK a Shot sweepstakes: Weekly statewide drawings continue through Oct. 30 for newly vaccinated individuals and one drawing for individuals who received their vaccination between December 2020 and Sept. 1, 2021. Share their PSA
• 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.
• Start the 2021-22 school year healthy and strong
  • Webpage: School health information for the new school year
  • DHSS: Return to School After Symptoms form (PDF) for physicians to fill out and provide to parents for when a child returns to school after testing positive for COVID-19
  • Bounce Back Alaska: Resiliency resources for youth, parents, educators, and families
• 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

COVID-19 Communication Resources

• Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are now approved and recommended by both the FDA and CDC for certain populations. Many Alaskans who are at the highest risk for COVID-19 are now eligible to receive a Pfizer booster dose. Learn more about who should get a booster dose and to find COVID-19 vaccines near you at covidvax.alaska.gov.
• The COVID-19 Cases Dashboard on the DHSS COVID-19 data hub just got a new and improved look. Some of the changes include improved cases summary information; expanded information about demographic data; improved alert level map; improved graphs on cases, deaths and hospitalizations; and a new percent change of cases graph.
• New online resources: Quarantine options for returning to school after being exposed | School Health ECHO slideshow addressing booster doses, new MMWRs
• Recent social media posts and graphics to share: Monoclonal antibody treatments | Vaccines minimize risk of hospitalization and death | Vaccines are safe and effective | Mask requirements prevent outbreaks in schools | Layer on protections | Why get vaccinated if you can still get COVID
• Video PSAs to share:
  • Natural and vaccine-induced immunity explained with Dr. Anne Zink
  • Supporting hospital capacity with Dr. Anne Zink
  • Who should get vaccinated with Dr. Anne Zink
  • Vaccination status trends in cases, deaths and hospitalizations with State Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin
• Give AK a Shot sweepstakes: Weekly statewide drawings continue through Oct. 30 for newly vaccinated individuals and one drawing for individuals who received their vaccination between December 2020 and Sept. 1, 2021. Share their PSA
• 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.
• Start the 2021-22 school year healthy and strong
  • Webpage: School health information for the new school year
  • DHSS: Return to School After Symptoms form (PDF) for physicians to fill out and provide to parents for when a child returns to school after testing positive for COVID-19
  • Bounce Back Alaska: Resiliency resources for youth, parents, educators, and families
• 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.

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 of the cases attributed to the most recent week will be attributed to the previous week.

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 of the cases attributed to the most recent week will be attributed to the previous week.

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 Monday through Friday.

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

On September 28, 2021 the City and Borough of Sitka Assembly passed ordinance 2021-32 requiring the use of a face covering in certain indoor settings and providing a penalty until March 22, 2022, when the risk level as defined by the Sitka Emergency Operations Center is in high risk level.

The following is required: All individuals must wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when they are indoors in public settings or communal spaces outside the home.

Click below to read details on conditions, settings, employment requirements, exceptions, and enforcement policy.

Alaska Department of Health & Social Services Weekly Case Update
September 12 — September 18, 2021

Intermediate Statewide transmission Rt 1.1	HIGH Statewide alert status 781.9	HIGH ALERT Hospital capacity	HIGH Test positivity 9.6%	62.5% of Alaskans aged 12+ are vaccinated
Red- Rt >1.2 Orange- Rt 1-1.2 Yellow- Rt <1	7-day case rate per 100,000 population. Red-  ≥100 Orange- 50-99.99 Yellow- 10-49.99 Blue- 0-9.99	Multiple hospitals in Anchorage were at surge capacity the weekend of September 18th and September 19th due to high volumes of both COVID and non-COVID patients.	Red->5% Orange- 2-5% Yellow- <2%	This includes people with at least one dose. Estimated AK population 12 and older of 607,022 from the AK Department of Labor & Workforce Development.

Case Trends

• The number of reported COVID-19 cases in Alaska continued last week on an upwards trajectory.
• Alaska currently has the highest number of cases in the last seven days per 100,000 population among the 50 states.
• Alaska currently has more people hospitalized with COVID-19 than were hospitalized with COVID-19 at the peak of the previous surge in late November and early December 2020.

• Among the 50 states, Alaska had the tenth largest percentage increase in number of persons hospitalized with COVID-19 over the past two weeks.
• Hospitalizations are continuing to occur in younger Alaskans, with the median age of persons hospitalized due to COVID-19 in 2021 being 6 years younger than in 2020.
• Among those hospitalized due to COVID-19 and with specimen collection dates from January 16, 2021 through September 18, 2021, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated patients had a median age about 16 years younger than fully vaccinated patients.
• Hospital capacity is reaching a point in Alaska where 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.

• 5,459 cases were reported in Alaskans between September 12–September 18. This is a 32.8% increase from the week before.
• High levels of COVID-19 transmission are occurring in Alaska communities that are on the road system.
  • Per capita incidence rates in Matanuska-Susitna Borough and Fairbanks North Star Borough have rapidly increased over the past few weeks and now equal or exceed rates in Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
  • Rates in Juneau are quite high as well.
• The 7-day test-positivity rate in Alaska is continuing to climb and is the highest it has ever been, indicating widespread community transmission and the need for more testing.
• While the intensity of COVID-19 transmission varies substantially between communities off the road system, COVID-19 cases are regularly reported from nearly all boroughs and census areas.
• Several factors are likely contributing to Alaska’s current surge:
  • The Delta variant
  • Vaccination rates (Alaska currently ranks 35th out of the 50 US states in terms of the proportion of the population that is fully vaccinated)
  • Waning immunity (both vaccine-induced and infection-induced immunity)
  • The degree to which people are engaging in community mitigation efforts to slow the spread, such as masking, social distancing, indoor ventilation, testing, isolation, and quarantine.

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. Currently available COVID vaccines will help protect you, your family, and your community against COVID-19, including the delta variant.
• 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, if they are unvaccinated, to quarantine.
• If you test positive and you’re at increased risk for severe COVID, obtain monoclonal antibody treatment. This has been shown to be an effective treatment for reducing the risk of hospitalization. This treatment works best when given early.
  • Persons at high risk includes but is 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.

Borough/Census Area	Alert Level August 30	Alert Level September 7	Alert Level September 13	Alert Level September 20
Count	Rate	Count	Rate	Count	Rate	Count	Rate
Anchorage Municipality	1,314	454.7	1,399	484.1	1,571	543.7	2,570	889.4
Fairbanks North Star Borough	337	346.9	537	552.7	628	646.4	733	754.4
Juneau City and Borough	142	446.9	158	497.3	100	314.7	250	786.8
Kenai Peninsula Borough	406	688.9	471	799.2	275	466.6	369	626.1
Matanuska-Susitna Region	411	383.0	667	621.6	741	690.6	771	718.5
Nome Census Area	129	1,320.5	24	245.7	31	317.3	23	235.4
North Slope Borough	68	695.9	198	2,026.4	242	2,476.7	255	2,609.8
Northwest Arctic Borough	54	712.1	58	764.9	29	382.4	54	712.1
Chugach Census Area	22	325.9	21	311.1	26	385.1	24	355.5
Copper River Census Area	14	518.7*	23	852.2	25	926.3	16	592.8*
Denali Borough	6	332.2*	10	553.7*	5	**	9	498.3*
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	24	346.0	22	317.1	38	547.8	51	735.2
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	19	376.7*	23	456.0	31	614.6	30	594.8
Haines Borough	20	793.7	9	357.1*	6	238.1*	16	634.9*
Petersburg Borough	8	250.9*	4	**	0	**	2	**
Sitka City and Borough	32	375.5	13	152.5*	10	117.3*	31	363.7
Skagway Municipality	3	**	1	**	2	**	1	**
Wrangell City and Borough	22	924.8	6	252.2*	4	**	1	**
Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon	4	**	4	**	1	**	4	**
Ketchikan Gateway Borough	97	709.2	88	643.4	68	497.2	69	504.5
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	21	344.8	38	624.0	23	377.7	29	476.2
Bethel Census Area	147	822.7	110	615.6	148	828.3	178	996.2
Kusilvak Census Area	35	432.7	34	420.4	29	358.6	56	692.4
Aleutians East Borough	3	**	9	307.7*	4	**	2	**
Aleutians West Census Area	8	144.3*	20	360.8	8	144.3*	6	108.2*
Dillingham Census Area	38	796.1	64	1,340.9	38	796.1	44	921.9
Kodiak Island Borough	66	523.4	49	388.5	49	388.5	86	681.9
Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula	5	**	7	289.3*	2	**	18	743.8*
Statewide	3,455	474.0	4,067	558.0	4,137	567.6	5,699	781.9

*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 ≥12 years 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. Scientific studies have shown that two doses of an mRNA vaccine are more effective than one dose of an mRNA vaccine, especially against emerging variants of concern.
• 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 ≥12 years who received one or more doses of vaccine.

Borough/Census Area	September 21
Aleutians East Borough	88.8%
Aleutians West Census Area	74.6%
Anchorage Municipality	66.6%
Bethel Census Area	79.0%
Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula	91.8%
Denali Borough	72,4%
Dillingham Census Area	64.4%
Fairbanks North Star Borough	54.3%
Haines Borough	73.5%
Juneau City and Borough	84.2%
Kenai Peninsula Borough	51.8%
Ketchikan Gateway Borough	70.7%
Kodiak Island Borough	72.5%
Kusilvak Census Area	82.8%
Matanuska-Susitna Borough	45.2%
Nome Census Area	84.6%
North Slope Borough	41.1%
Northwest Arctic Borough	68.0%
Petersburg Borough	68.6%
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	70.2%
Sitka City and Borough	83.2%
Skagway Municipality	87.1%
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	37.5%
Valdez-Cordova Census Area	66.0%
Wrangell City and Borough	66.0%
Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon	80.0%
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	82.5%
Statewide	62.5%

New Hospitalizations and Deaths

• Cumulative hospitalizations increased by 77 to 2,211. Hospitalization reports often lag when a case was initially reported.
• 21% of hospitalized patients in Alaska had COVID-19 as of September 21, 2021.
• On September 18th, there were 201 persons with COVID-19 in AK hospitals, which is a 2.9% decrease relative to the week before when there were 207 persons hospitalized.
• The cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths among Alaska residents increased by 14 to 459. It is common to take some time for a death to be reported and verified, and deaths that occurred during September 12–September 18 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 September 21st.

Variants of Concern	Cases Identified	Change from Previous Report	First Identified in Alaska
Alpha (B.1.1.7)	457	+4	20 December 2020
Beta (B.1.351)	7	0	20 March 2021
Gamma (P.1/P.1.1/P.1.2)	74	0	8 February 2021
Delta (B.1.617.2-like)	2245	+601	30 May 2021
Variants of Interest	Cases Identified	Change from Previous Report	First Identified in Alaska
Epsilon (B.1.427/429)	139	0	24 December 2020
Eta (B.1.525)	1	0	16 March 2021
Iota (B.1.526)	24	0	4 February 2021
Mu (B.1.621)	156	+7	6 May 2021
Zeta (P.2)	4	0	27 January 2021

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.
• The updated VB data are among Alaska residents aged ≥12 years with a specimen collection date from January 16–September 18, 2021. 
• From January 16–September 18, 2021, 20 deaths, 135 hospitalizations, and 9,220 cases with a VB infection were reported among Alaska residents aged ≥12 years. These counts are provisional and subject to change as data are compiled and reviewed. In that same time frame, a total of 41,539 cases, 1,104 hospitalizations, and 161 deaths were reported.
• 78% of all cases, 88% of all hospitalizations, and 88% of deaths among Alaska residents aged ≥12 years from January 16–September 18, 2021 were in people who were not fully vaccinated. 
• Specimens from VB infections are described in the weekly Alaska Genomics Report. More detailed information about hospitalizations, deaths, and vaccine breakthrough infections among Alaskan residents can also be found in the monthly report.
• Age-adjusted per capita rates of COVID-19 cases by vaccination status are updated weekly. Many COVID-19 cases with specimen collection in the immediate past weeks (indicated by the grey box) may have not yet been reported or counted.

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

COVID-19 Communication Resources

• DHSS enabled Crisis Standards of Care on Sept. 22 through a new addendum to Public Health Emergency Order 1 and Governor Dunleavy announced that hundreds of medical personnel are coming to Alaska to assist the State’s health care facilities. For more details, watch the Governor’s Sept. 22 press briefing online at livestream.com/govdunleavy/events/9860242 and read the following:
  • Governor’s press release
  • Addendum to the Public Health Emergency Order
  • Info Sheet to the Addendum and the Hospital Capacity Actions
  • DHSS Response to ASHNHA letter from Sept. 1
• Give AK a Shot sweepstakes: Weekly statewide drawings continue through Oct. 30 for newly vaccinated individuals and one drawing for individuals who received their vaccination between December 2020 and Sept. 1, 2021.
• Share these recent social media posts and graphics: Thank you to Alaska’s health care workers | Immunity from vaccines is very low risk and highly protective | New name, same vaccine | Rent relief from AK Housing Finance Corp | COVID vax is safe, free and effective but won’t give you superpowers |
  • Who should get vaccinated with Dr. Anne Zink
  • Vaccination status trends in cases, deaths and hospitalizations with State Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin
  • About the Pfizer vaccine approval with Dr. Coleman Cutchins
  • We are Alaskans: redouble our efforts
  • Give AK a Shot Sweepstakes
• 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.
• Start the 2021-22 school year healthy and strong
  • Webpage: School health information for the new school year
  • DEED/DHSS: Memo to Superintendents: Recommendations for keeping Alaskan K-12 students safe in school (PDF)
  • DHSS: Return to School After Symptoms form (PDF) for physicians to fill out and provide to parents for when a child returns to school after testing positive for COVID-19
  • Bounce Back Alaska: Resiliency resources for youth, parents, educators, and families
• 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.

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 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 Monday through Friday.

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

UNIFIED COMMAND DISCUSSES DASHBOARD AND BOOSTERS

SITKA, September 22, 2021 – Incident Commander Craig Warren stated it had been two weeks since Unified Command had met. He reported continued comments to field citizen concerns with the updated City and Borough of Sitka (CBS) COVID-19 Dashboard especially with the 14 positive COVID-19 cases from yesterday. He told of many questions surrounding if the positive cases were from travelers or secondary or community spread to know where in town it was taking place and know where to stay away from. He reminded that the metrics had always been provided by Public Health and the State Department of Health and Social Services Section of Epidemiology and the data was the only numbers Sitka would receive.

Public Health Nurse, Denise Ewing relayed the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee met to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine booster and review the data. Based on the scientific evidence available including safety and effectiveness data, the committee voted to recommend Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine boosters to limited groups. She said the recommendation would be discussed at the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting scheduled September 22 and 23, which anticipated further guidance for boosters and the CDC authorizing boosters for limited groups. She stated then Alaska providers would be able to provide booster vaccines to those specific groups. She stated more details and information would be out next week. To keep updated visit covidvax.alaska.gov. She said as we work on mitigation strategies and staying current with vaccines, she also urged all to not ignore six simple basics: stay active, get adequate sleep, pay attention to diet and nutrition, health care maintenance, cope with stress and anxiety, and to stay connected.

Thor Christianson, Logistics reported no issues with being able to get medical supplies although some brands were not available.

Public Information Officer Melissa Henshaw reported fewer inquiries and concerns of the changes to the CBS COVID-19 Dashboard and a few social media posts for when new information was available along with reminders of the recommended mitigation.

Janelle Vanasse, Superintendent of Mt. Edgecumbe High School (MEHS) reported continued implementation of their mitigation plan. She stated there were some positive COVID-19 cases that were caught through a combination of testing from those identified as close contacts as well as screening testing but that it had been contained and the mitigation plan had been working as designed. They were happy to be fully in person and continued to have quality education while mitigating COVID-19 and able to take care of students that needed to be isolated or quarantined.

Sitka School District (SSD) Superintendent Frank Hauser reported what had appeared to be a Labor Day spike in cases and relayed they had their first active COVID-19 cases connected to SSD buildings two weeks ago. He said it was students and/or vaccinated staff that had tested COVID-19 positive. The SSD website had a list of schools and cases which would continue to be updated. He reminded that COVID-19 was contracted from many situations and locations including travel, family, friends, or out in the community and they had couple of the students come to school with COVID-19 symptoms. The SSD contacted parents of the schools according to notification procedures (available for review on their website) and stated if parents were not contacted then their student was not in contact with any of the COVID-19 positive individuals. He asked that everyone keep students’ home if they were sick or if anyone in the household or among close contacts were sick. Several of the positive cases were identified using new screening testing. To date, they had tested hundreds of students along with staff and would continue to provide testing to bring students and staff back into buildings safely.

He stated the COVID-19 testing permission form could be found on the SSD website which could be filled out and returned to the office. Schools test weekly and the schedule was on page two of the form. The COVID-19 positive cases connected to buildings currently represent not even 1% of the student population. In contrast, those Alaskan districts that started school without masking, reported 10 times the COVID-19 positive cases and multiple school closures though most have switched to masking. SSD layered mitigations including masking and testing helped to identify and isolate positive cases and bring students back to in person learning safely. Several of the cases listed on the website would come off this week as those individuals would have competed their isolation period. Information on the SSD website would continue to be updated Monday through Friday, visit https://www.sitkaschools.org/.

Anne Davis, Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) reported continued remote work for staff, their offices remained closed unless by appointment, and staff was being tested every two weeks.

Henshaw relayed for Trish White, Harry Race Pharmacist of continued COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Friday mornings. The public may sign up at http://www.sitkapharmacies.com.

Finance Section Chief Melisa Haley reported meeting with FEMA to go over the projects that had mostly been paid out with the exception of one pending. She said there were admin fees to submit, but that once submitted it forced all projects closed and we would no longer be able to submit for reimbursement. She was leaning toward not submitting to allow for flexibility. She said that unless incurring significant expenses, it would not be worth the time to pursue federal funding, but that it was something to look into.

Due to the High Alert Level in Sitka, Sitka Unified Command recommends continued mitigation: face coverings are strongly encouraged for individuals regardless of vaccination status, maintaining physical distance of 6 feet along with following CDC guidelines CDC Guidelines.

We urge citizens to remain diligent and practice proper hygiene measures, such as washing your hands often, avoiding close contact with others. In addition, get tested but stay home if you feel ill, wear a face covering when around others, and clean and disinfect objects and surfaces on a regular basis.

COVID-19 symptoms are similar to the flu – fever, aching, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, and sometimes decreased sense of taste and smell. If you are concerned you might have contracted the coronavirus contact the COVID hotline at 966.8799. Outside of normal clinic hours, patients can contact the SEARHC 24/7 Nurse Advice Line at 1.800.613.0560 to be triaged by a registered nurse. 

The Sitka Emergency Unified Command continues to urge citizens to enroll for a vaccination online with Harry Race Pharmacy at Harry Race Pharmacy and with SEARHC at https://covid19.searhc.org/. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 vaccines have demonstrated to be safe and effective. COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of people spreading the virus. Being vaccinated is the best way to protect our community.

The Emergency Operations Center encourages residents to prepare for any local emergency by ensuring each family member has a 14- day emergency supply kit, including any necessary medications.

For information on the local pandemic response, visit https://cityofsitka.org or https://covid19.searhc.org.

# # #

Case Trends

• The number of reported COVID-19 cases in Alaska continued last week on an upwards trajectory.
• Alaska currently has more people hospitalized with COVID-19 compared to any other time during the pandemic.  
  • Among the 50 states, Alaska had the fourth largest percentage increase in number of persons hospitalized with COVID-19 over the past two weeks.
  • Hospitalizations are continuing to occur in younger Alaskans, with the median age of persons hospitalized due to COVID-19 in 2021 being 6 years younger than in 2020.
  • Among those hospitalized due to COVID-19 and with specimen collection dates from January 16, 2021 through September 11, 2021, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated patients had a median age more than 15 years younger than fully vaccinated patients.
  • Hospital capacity is reaching a point in Alaska where 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.

• 4,132 cases were reported in Alaskans between September 5–September 11. This is a 0.49% increase from the week before.
• High levels of COVID-19 transmission are occurring in Alaska communities that are on the road system.
  • Per capita incidence rates in Matanuska-Susitna Borough and Fairbanks North Star Borough have rapidly increased over the past few weeks and now equal or exceed rates in Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
  • Rates in Juneau are quite high as well.
• The 7-day test-positivity rate in Alaska is continuing to climb and is the highest it has ever been, indicating widespread community transmission and the need for more testing.
• While the intensity of COVID-19 transmission varies substantially between communities off the road system, COVID-19 cases are regularly reported from nearly all boroughs and census areas.
• Several factors are likely contributing to Alaska’s current surge:
  • The Delta variant
  • Vaccination rates (Alaska currently ranks 34th out of the 50 US states in terms of the proportion of the population that is fully vaccinated)
  • Waning immunity (both vaccine-induced and infection-induced immunity)
  • The degree to which people are engaging in community mitigation efforts to slow the spread, such as masking, social distancing, indoor ventilation, testing, isolation, and quarantine.

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. Currently available COVID vaccines will help protect you, your family, and your community against COVID-19, including the delta variant.
• 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, if they are unvaccinated, to quarantine.
• If you test positive and you’re at increased risk for severe COVID, obtain monoclonal antibody treatment. This has been shown to be an effective treatment for reducing the risk of hospitalization. This treatment works best when given early.
  • Persons at high risk includes but is 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.

Borough/Census Area	Alert Level August 23	Alert Level August 30	Alert Level September 7	Alert Level September 13
Count	Rate	Count	Rate	Count	Rate	Count	Rate
Anchorage Municipality	1,169	404.5	1,314	454.7	1,399	484.1	1,571	543.7
Fairbanks North Star Borough	199	204.8	337	346.9	537	552.7	628	646.4
Juneau City and Borough	154	484.7	142	446.9	158	497.3	100	314.7
Kenai Peninsula Borough	394	668.5	406	688.9	471	799.2	275	466.6
Matanuska-Susitna Region	406	378.4	411	383.0	667	621.6	741	690.6
Nome Census Area	137	1,402.4	129	1,320.5	24	245.7	31	317.3
North Slope Borough	59	603.8	68	695.9	198	2,026.4	242	2,476.7
Northwest Arctic Borough	55	725.3	54	712.1	58	764.9	29	382.4
Chugach Census Area	42	622.1	22	325.9	21	311.1	26	385.1
Copper River Census Area	14	518.7*	14	518.7*	23	852.2	25	926.3
Denali Borough	5	**	6	332.2*	10	553.7*	5	**
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	9	129.7*	24	346.0	22	317.1	38	547.8
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	13	257.7*	19	376.7*	23	456.0	31	614.6
Haines Borough	39	1,547.6	20	793.7	9	357.1*	6	238.1*
Petersburg Borough	1	**	8	250.9*	4	**	0	**
Sitka City and Borough	53	621.8	32	375.5	13	152.5*	10	117.3*
Skagway Municipality	5	**	3	**	1	**	2	**
Wrangell City and Borough	14	588.5*	22	924.8	6	252.2*	4	**
Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon	5	**	4	**	4	**	1	**
Ketchikan Gateway Borough	75	548.4	97	709.2	88	643.4	68	497.2
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	35	574.7	21	344.8	38	624.0	23	377.7
Bethel Census Area	113	632.4	147	822.7	110	615.6	148	828.3
Kusilvak Census Area	40	494.6	35	432.7	34	420.4	29	358.6
Aleutians East Borough	3	**	3	**	9	307.7*	4	**
Aleutians West Census Area	11	198.4*	8	144.3*	20	360.8	8	144.3*
Dillingham Census Area	37	775.2	38	796.1	64	1,340.9	38	796.1
Kodiak Island Borough	90	713.7	66	523.4	49	388.5	49	388.5
Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula	2	**	5	**	7	289.3*	2	**
Statewide	3,180	436.3	3,455	474.0	4,067	558.0	4,137	567.6

*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 ≥12 years 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. Scientific studies have shown that two doses of an mRNA vaccine are more effective than one dose of an mRNA vaccine, especially against emerging variants of concern.
• 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 ≥12 years who received one or more doses of vaccine.

Borough/Census Area	September 14
Aleutians East Borough	88.4%
Aleutians West Census Area	74.4%
Anchorage Municipality	65.9%
Bethel Census Area	78.1%
Bristol Bay plus Lake and Peninsula	91.3%
Denali Borough	71.6%
Dillingham Census Area	64.1%
Fairbanks North Star Borough	53.8%
Haines Borough	73.4%
Juneau City and Borough	83.8%
Kenai Peninsula Borough	51.4%
Ketchikan Gateway Borough	70.4%
Kodiak Island Borough	71.7%
Kusilvak Census Area	82.2%
Matanuska-Susitna Borough	44.7%
Nome Census Area	84.3%
North Slope Borough	40.5%
Northwest Arctic Borough	67.6%
Petersburg Borough	68.5%
Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area	69.5%
Sitka City and Borough	82.8%
Skagway Municipality	86.9%
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area	37.0%
Valdez-Cordova Census Area	65.4%
Wrangell City and Borough	65.4%
Yakutat plus Hoonah-Angoon	79.7%
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area	82.3%
Statewide	61.9%

New Hospitalizations and Deaths

• Cumulative hospitalizations increased by 75 to 2,134. Hospitalization reports often lag when a case was initially reported.
• 20.4% of hospitalized patients in Alaska had COVID-19 as of September 14, 2021.
• On September 11th, there were 207 persons with COVID-19 in AK hospitals, which is a 22.5% increase relative to the week before when there were 169 persons hospitalized.
• The cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths among Alaska residents increased by 8 to 445. It is common to take some time for a death to be reported and verified, and deaths that occurred during September 5–September 11 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 September 14th.

Variants of Concern	Cases Identified	Change from Previous Report	First Identified in Alaska
Alpha (B.1.1.7)	453	+1	20 December 2020
Beta (B.1.351)	7	0	20 March 2021
Gamma (P.1/P.1.1/P.1.2)	74	0	8 February 2021
Delta (B.1.617.2-like)	1644	+206	30 May 2021
Variants of Interest	Cases Identified	Change from Previous Report	First Identified in Alaska
Epsilon (B.1.427/429)	139	0	24 December 2020
Eta (B.1.525)	1	0	16 March 2021
Iota (B.1.526)	24	0	4 February 2021
Mu (B.1.621)	149	+2	6 May 2021
Zeta (P.2)	4	0	27 January 2021

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.
• The updated VB data are among Alaska residents aged ≥12 years with a specimen collection date from January 16–September 11, 2021. 
• From January 16–September 11, 2021, 18 deaths, 117 hospitalizations, and 7,429 cases with a VB infection were reported among Alaska residents aged ≥12 years. These counts are provisional and subject to change as data are compiled and reviewed. In that same time frame, a total of 36,422 cases, 966 hospitalizations, and 142 deaths were reported.
• 80% of all cases, 88% of all hospitalizations, and 87% of deaths among Alaska residents aged ≥12 years from January 16–September 11, 2021 were in people who were not fully vaccinated. 
• Specimens from VB infections are described in the weekly Alaska Genomics Report. More detailed information about hospitalizations, deaths, and vaccine breakthrough infections among Alaskan residents can also be found in the monthly report.
• Age-adjusted per capita rates of COVID-19 cases by vaccination status are updated weekly. Many COVID-19 cases with specimen collection in the immediate past week (indicated by the grey box) have not yet been reported or counted.

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

COVID-19 Communication Resources

• Give AK a Shot sweepstakes: The winner of the first drawing for the Alaska Chamber’s vaccination sweepstakes will be announced Thursday, Sept. 16 at noon. There are more chances to win through Oct. 30, with weekly statewide drawings for newly vaccinated individuals and one drawing for individuals who received their vaccination between December 2020 and Sept. 1, 2021.
• Recently updated webpages and reports:
  • Reasons to get vaccinated against COVID-19What to do if you’re sick or exposed to COVID-19
  • Outpatient treatments for COVID-19 and information about ivermectin
  • COVID-19 Monthly Update, July 2021
• 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.
• Start the 2021-22 school year healthy and strong
  • Webpage: School health information for the new school year
  • DEED/DHSS: Memo to Superintendents: Recommendations for keeping Alaskan K-12 students safe in school (PDF)
  • DHSS: Return to School After Symptoms form (PDF) for physicians to fill out and provide to parents for when a child returns to school after testing positive for COVID-19
  • Bounce Back Alaska: Resiliency resources for youth, parents, educators, and families
• Share these social media posts and graphics: Take the health equity survey | Dr. Cutchins answers a question about the Pfizer vaccine | Ivermectin misuse | Safe testing sites while sick | Child Care Stabilization Grants | Don’t travel if you’re sick
• Video PSAs: 
  • About the Pfizer vaccine approval with Dr. Coleman Cutchins
  • Give AK a Shot Sweepstakes
  • Natural immunity vs. vaccine-induced immunity with State Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin
  • Monoclonal antibodies treatment and misinformation about ivermectin with Dr. Coleman Cutchins
• 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.

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 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 Monday through Friday.

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