Alaska reports 8 recent deaths related to COVID-19

JUNEAU, Alaska – The state on Thursday reported eight recent deaths related to COVID-19 and 755 new cases of infection among Alaska residents.

Dr. Anne Zink, the state’s chief medical officer, said the deaths occurred within the last week. They include a man in his 30s; a woman in her 50s; four men in their 70s and a man and woman in their 80s, according to the state health department.

Since the start of the pandemic, the department has reported about 33,290 resident cases of COVID-19, and 129 deaths. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and death.

The department has described as a “significant concern” hospital capacity and staffing and said last week marked the ninth consecutive week in which virus transmission across Alaska was estimated to have increased.

“Cases diagnosed in recent weeks have exceeded the ability of public health to immediately report individual cases,” the department said in a release Thursday, adding: “New positive tests are always an underestimate of true new cases.”