by Tegan Hanlon, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage
There are six new coronavirus cases in Alaska from Thursday, following a spike in positive tests the day before, according to the state Department of Health and Social Services.
The latest cases include five Alaskans: two from the Kenai Peninsula, two from the Anchorage area and one from Juneau. The sixth case is a nonresident described as a visitor on the Kenai Peninsula, according to state data.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy lifted restrictions on businesses last week, and is expected to make an announcement Friday evening about the required two-week quarantine for people traveling into Alaska. The requirement is set to expire on Tuesday.
In total, 430 Alaskans have tested positive for the virus so far, and 367 have recovered. There have been 47 hospitalizations and 10 deaths.
The number of nonresidents who have tested positive in Alaska now totals 18. A dozen of them work for the seafood industry and one works in mining. Two are pilots and three are visitors, the state reports.
Nearly 50,000 coronavirus tests have been administered in the state, according to the health department.
The department reports new coronavirus cases by noon daily based on the prior day’s data.
The state reported 13 new coronavirus cases from Wednesday. It was the highest daily increase in more than a month and prompted Alaska’s chief medical officer, Dr. Anne Zink, to caution Alaskans to keep their social circles small.
“#Alaska our risk is going up,” she posted on Twitter on Thursday.