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COVID-19 cases climbing in Y-K Delta

COVID-19 cases are again rising in the Y-K Delta, following a 19% decrease in announced cases last week.
Elyssa Loughlin
/
KYUK
COVID-19 cases are again rising in the Y-K Delta, following a 19% decrease in announced cases last week.

COVID-19 cases in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta have increased from last week. The increase follows an upward trend of cases rising every week except one since late July. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation reported 295 new COVID-19 Cases in the region over the past week, from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3. YKHC also reported 6 new hospitalizations in-region, 0 medevacs and 2 deaths due to the virus during this one week period.

This is 82 more cases, or a 38% increase in cases, in the region compared to the previous week. [Last week, there were 213 new cases, 6 hospitalizations, and 0 deaths.]

Across the Yukon-Kuskokim Delta, 81.3 % of the eligible population are fully vaccinated against the virus, according to state data. This is a 5.4% increase from last week.

Statewide, there were 6,233 new COVID-19 cases in the past week. During that time, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta made up 4.7% of the state’s new cases.

How does the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta compare to state and national trends?

COVID-19 cases in the Y-K Delta and the state of Alaska have increased substantially; the reported national numbers have stayed constant.
Elyssa Loughlin
/
KYUK
COVID-19 cases in the Y-K Delta and the state of Alaska have increased substantially; the reported national numbers have stayed constant.

Per capita, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta is reporting more COVID-19 cases on average per capita than the state and nation. From Sept. 27 to Oct. 3, YKHC announced an average of 42.1 new COVID-19 cases each day. Per 100,000 people in the region, about 1,017.2 developed COVID-19 in the last seven days. In the same time period, the state announced 836.7 new cases per 100,000 people across Alaska, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced 218.1 cases per 100,000 people across the U.S.

The Yukon-Kuskokim Delta has a higher vaccination rate than both the state of Alaska and the U.S. In the region, 81.3% of the eligible population is vaccinated, compared to 61.5% of eligible Alaskans who’ve been vaccinated and 65.5% of eligible Americans.

Elyssa Loughlin
/
KYUK

Elyssa (she/her) was the Wellness Programming Producer from 2020-2022.