State announces two coronavirus deaths, as active COVID-19 count hits new high

Two more Alaskans with COVID-19 have died, according to state health officials. Both were staying at long-term-care facilities in other states when they died in early May.

Both deaths were recently reported to the state, according to a spokesperson for the state Department of Health and Social Services.

Both had their Alaska residence in Juneau. One died in Washington state. The other was in New Jersey. The deaths raise the total number of Alaskans who the state has reported as having died with the disease to 14.

The two people who died weren’t connected to one another, according to City and Borough of Juneau officials. Both had tested positive for the coronavirus more than a week prior to their deaths.

The people who died were a man and a woman. One was in their 60s, the other in their 70s.

Alaska’s active case count hit a new high as 30 more people tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, according to numbers from the state Department of Health and Social Services.

The number of active cases is now at 303.

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Of the new cases, 20 are Alaska residents and 10 are nonresidents, including another five seafood workers in Bristol Bay.

Of the resident cases, five were in Anchorage, three each were in Juneau (one new active case in addition to the two reported deaths) and Wasilla, two each were in Eagle River, Fairbanks and Seward, and one each were in North Pole, Palmer and Sitka.

The national practice is to report deaths in the official state of residence, rather than the state people are in when they die.

Lex Treinen with Alaska Public Media contributed to this report.

Note: An earlier version of this story reported two new cases in Juneau. There were three new cases reported, including the two deaths. The story has been updated.

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