Juneau has reported new cases of COVID-19 for the first time since the middle of April.
The City and Borough of Juneau and the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services announced two cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. This means they were reported to the state on Monday. The two cases bring the state’s total number to 383.
Additionally, DHSS reported another out-of-state case in the Municipality of Anchorage. The person is a visitor to the state and is not being included in Alaska’s official case count. The addition of this case makes seven total nonresident cases in Alaska.
According to data on the DHSS coronavirus response hub, the last time a case was identified in Juneau was April 14.
“Both cases are a result of secondary transmission, or being in close contact with somebody else who has tested positive for COVID-19,” the release from Juneau states.
Of the two cases, one is male and the other is female. Both are in the 50-59 age range, according to the press release from DHSS.
In its press release, the City and Borough of Juneau said that 26 of the 29 total individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Juneau have recovered.
Statewide, 334 people have recovered from the disease, according to DHSS. There have been a total of 10 deaths and 38 total cumulative hospitalizations of patients with the disease. That number includes people who have since recovered or who have since died. There are 10 people currently in the hospital for either confirmed cases of COVID-19 or suspected cases, according to the state’s data hub.
In all, the state has performed 29,961 tests as of Tuesday, according to DHSS. Locally, South Peninsula Hospital has sent 577 samples for testing as of Tuesday, with four coming back positive, 546 coming back negative and 27 still pending.
The state’s 383 cases are spread out across 26 Alaska communities. As of Tuesday evening, there are 173 cases in Anchorage, six in Chugiak, 13 in Eagle River and three in Girdwood. In the Fairbanks North Star Borough, there are 66 cases in Fairbanks, 18 in North Pole and one in a community labeled “other.” In the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, there are nine cases in Palmer and 12 in Wasilla. On the Kenai Peninsula, Kenai and Soldotna each have six cases, Homer has four, Seward and Sterling both have three cases and Anchor Point has had two cases. In the Southeast, Juneau has 29 cases, Ketchikan has 16, Petersburg has four, Craig has two and Sitka has one. Bethel, Kodiak, Nome, Delta Junction, Tok and the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area each have one case.
Reach Megan Pacer at mpacer@homernews.com.
