Health officials continue to add to the tally of deaths from Alaska’s worst surge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state on Tuesday reported another 28 Alaskans who died from COVID-19 between August and October, with most of the deaths in October. The update comes a day after the state reported 53 deaths from the virus.
The deaths reported Tuesday happened in regions around Alaska and were mostly people in their 60s or older. Four of the 28 people who died were in their 50s.
Deaths are reported by doctors who take care of patients, but can sometimes take weeks or even months to make it into the state’s data.
The deaths reported Tuesday include one from August, five from September — already Alaska’s deadliest month of the pandemic — and 22 from October. Based on case counts and hospitalizations, October could become Alaska’s second-deadliest month once all death certificates are counted.
Meanwhile, Alaska’s daily case counts have dropped substantially since October, but Alaska’s case rate is still higher than any other U.S. state, according to data collected by The New York Times.
The state reported 388 new COVID infections on Tuesday and 142 patients hospitalized with the virus, 20 of them on ventilators. A total of 54% of Alaskans ages 5 and older have been fully vaccinated.
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Lex Treinen is covering the state Legislature for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at ltreinen@gmail.com.
