FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clinton Bennett, DHSS, (907)
269-4996, clinton.bennett@alaska.gov
First in-state Alaskan death from COVID-19
March 27, 2020, ANCHORAGE — The Alaska Department of Health
and Social Services (DHSS) reported the state’s first in-state death today
related to COVID-19.
This is the second Alaska death. The first Alaska resident
to have died from COVID-19 was a resident of Southeast Alaska who died on March
16 at a health care facility in King County, Washington, after a prolonged stay
there.
“Our hearts go out to
the deceased's friends and family members,” said DHSS Commissioner Adam Crum.
“We are also thinking of the health care providers who cared for this patient.
We will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state, local and Tribal
partners to effectively respond to this crisis.”
The individual who died today was a 63-year-old person with
underlying health conditions. The deceased was receiving treatment at an
Anchorage hospital and had tested positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19) on March 25.
“As we grieve this loss, we need to collectively resolve to
do our part to prevent the spread of this virus,” said Alaska’s Chief Medical
Officer Dr. Anne Zink. “This is an unfortunate reminder that COVID-19 is a
life-threatening illness.”
In addition to the announcement of the second Alaska death,
DHSS announced 16 new positive cases in six Alaska communities – Anchorage (9),
Girdwood (1), Fairbanks (3), North Pole (1), Juneau (1), and Ketchikan (1). This
brings Alaska's total case count to 85.
Nine of today's new cases are male; seven are female. Eight
of the new cases are adults, seven are aged 19-29 and one is a child. Nine of
the cases are close contacts of previously diagnosed cases, one is travel-related
and six are still under investigation.
Alaska public health officials urge anyone with any
respiratory illness, regardless of how mild, to stay home for a period of at
least 14 days. Travelers arriving from anywhere in the U.S. or elsewhere are
now required to self-quarantine at home for the same period of time.
All Alaskans are urged to practice social distancing, stay
home as much as possible, avoid crowds, wash hands frequently, and maintain a
six foot distance from others. Alaska is continuing to release guidance to keep
Alaskans and their families healthy. Find more information at
www.coronavirus.alaska.gov.
Stay informed:
Alaska’s Response
Find more information about how to keep yourself and your
family healthy at the DHSS webpage,
coronavirus.alaska.gov
Visit
ready.alaska.gov/covid19 on the Division of Homeland
Security & Emergency Management webpage for Unified Command information,
community press releases and other documents.
Global response: The World Health Organization guides the
global response.
This press release covers new cases between March 26 at 3
p.m. and March 27 at 3 p.m. when daily case counts are updated at
coronavirus.alaska.gov.
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