Alaska's COVID-19 count tops 3,000, as Anchorage bars and restaurant dining rooms close again

Alaska Public Media | By Lex Treinen

Published August 3, 2020 at 6:55 AM AKDT

A nurse in a white suit, mask and clothes holds a vial — The negative follow-up tests of Sitka’s first confirmed coronavirus case don’t invalidate the initial result, says public health nurse Denise Ewing, who assists the state Section of Epidemiology with “contact tracing” for patients who have positive tests. “But they’re continuing to look at it,” she said. In this image, SEARHC personnel test a colleague for COVID-19 at the employee screening tent behind the hospital on April 28, 2020. (KCAW photo/Berett Wilber)

Alaska’s COVID-19 count surpassed the 3000-case mark over the weekend with cases concentrated in Anchorage.

The state reported over 150 cases on both Saturday and Sunday.

Anchorage made up the majority of those new cases, reporting about 100 each day. Late last week, Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz ordered bars and restaurants closed to indoor service in order to deal with the outbreak. That order goes into effect at 8 a.m. Monday.

Alaska also reported its 24th death linked to COVID-19 on Saturday. The patient was an Anchorage resident in his fifties with underlying conditions, according to the Department of Health and Social Services.

DHSS reported last week that cases are expected to rise rapidly if Alaska’s trends continue.