Alaska reports 5 more COVID-19 deaths, continued high hospitalizations

Oct. 26—Alaska on Monday reported five additional COVID-19 deaths, 229 hospitalizations and 1,686 more cases recorded over the weekend.

The state occupied the top spot in the country for the highest case rate Monday, with 550 cases per 100,000 people over the past week — over four times the national average of 124.7 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

While there have been some slight ups and downs among case rates, hospitalizations and deaths, the state has so far continued on a level trajectory, state epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin said Monday.

"We're not seeing at this point any clear downward trend in cases," he said.

On Friday, there were 529 more cases identified, with another 800 positive test results coming in Saturday and 357 cases Sunday, state data showed Monday.

Nationally, cases rates are currently highest in large, rural states like Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and North Dakota, McLaughlin said. They're all seeing similar sustained, high case rates.

Over a fifth of Alaska's hospitalized patients in Alaska were COVID-positive as of Monday, continuing a weeks-long stretch of elevated virus hospitalization numbers. High case counts and hospitalizations pushed 20 facilities statewide to activate crisis standards of care last month, though the situation varies widely from facility to facility and day to day.

[September was Alaska's deadliest pandemic month. Here's what that might tell us about the future of COVID-19 in the state.]