Alaska reports 20 virus-related deaths, 12 from October

Alaska Public Media | By Associated Press

Published November 21, 2021 at 5:48 PM AKST

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)

The state health department Friday reported 20 additional resident deaths related to COVID-19 dating to April, though more than half occurred last month.

The announced deaths followed death certificate reviews, said Elizabeth Manning, a department spokesperson. Twelve of the deaths occurred in October, five in September, two in August and one in April, she said by email.

Since the start of the pandemic, the state has reported 832 resident deaths related to COVID-19.

State health officials this week expressed cautious optimism about lower COVID-19 case numbers after an extended surge in cases that strained hospital capacity. The state’s chief medical officer said numbers recently have been trending downward after hitting a bit of a plateau.

She continued to urge measures such as vaccination, distancing and wearing masks.