The state logged 861 new cases of COVID-19 among on Alaskans on Friday.
Also on Friday, the number of hospitalizations from COVID-19 in the state dropped by 10 after hitting a record high on Thursday. There are now 232 patients with COVID-19 in Alaska’s hospitals, 32 of them on ventilators.
State health officials reported another five residents have died from the virus, bringing the total to 673.
The deaths involve a woman in her 70s from Fairbanks and a woman from the Bethel area in her 80s or older. There were also three men from Anchorage — one in his 50s, one in his 70s and one in his 80s or older. The state also reported the death of a nonresident in her 50s who was diagnosed with COVID-19 in Wasilla.
In addition to the 861 new COVID-19 cases among Alaskans, the state reported another 16 nonresidents recently diagnosed in Alaska.
Meanwhile, most Alaska communities remain at a high transmission rate, with the exception of some communities along the Aleutian Chain and several Southeast sections of the state.
Alaska is still the state with the highest rate of COVID-19 cases in the country. And while Alaska has the fourth lowest death rate from the virus, state health officials said Thursday that the virus is the third leading cause of death in the state for the year.
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Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
