More than 100K people in Alaska have gotten 1st vaccine dose

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - There have been more than 100,000 people in Alaska who have received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine as of Friday.

That figure includes over 41,000 people who have been vaccinated in Anchorage, which represents about 15% of the city’s population, Dr. Janet Johnston, an epidemiologist with the Anchorage Health Department, told KTUU-TV.

More than 15,000 Anchorage residents have received a second vaccine dose, Johnston said.

While case counts in the municipality have decreased steadily, officials said the number of hospitalizations has increased. There were 40 hospitalized coronavirus patients on Tuesday, with only four staffed intensive care unit beds available in Anchorage, Johnston said.

“This increase in hospitalizations reminds us that Anchorage serves as the health care hub for much of the state,” Johnston said. “With serious COVID-19 outbreaks in other parts of the state, including in the seafood industry, we are seeing more very sick COVID-19 patients in Anchorage hospitals.”