COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)

COVID-19. (Image courtesy CDC)

COVID-19: Hospitalizations steady, 1 local death reported

An update to the Alaska COVID-19 Information Hub on Tuesday, the first since the platform shifted to monthly reporting, shows that COVID-19 levels have remained low in the Kenai Peninsula Borough, but also that hospitalizations have increased.

As of Tuesday, 29 were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Gulf Coast region, which includes the Kenai Peninsula Borough. That holds largely steady with the numbers that were being reported before weekly updates were discontinued, though the counts had largely been trending downward in April, as low as 12.

With this month’s update came confirmation of 17 new deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the state, including one in the borough. To date, 125 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the borough since the start of the pandemic.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough is considered to be in the lowest tier of community transmission, according to the hub, with 24 cases reported in the last week and 108 reported since June 6.

The next update to the Alaska COVID-19 Information Hub will be on Aug. 8.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

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