CBJ reports eight new COVID-19 cases May 8-10 & confirms new variant in Juneau

The City and Borough of Juneau Emergency Operations Center is reporting eight new residents identified with COVID-19 in Juneau May 8-10. Six cases are attributed to secondary transmission and two are under investigation. According to Public Health, a new COVID-19 variant has been detected in Juneau. The P.1 strain was found in a resident case first reported two weeks ago that was later analyzed by a State of Alaska Public Health Lab. Public Health says no other reported cases in Juneau have been connected to that one. This is the second variant reported in Juneau; the first – B1.1.7 – was identified in early April.

One of the new cases reported today is associated with the private event cluster, bringing that cluster total to seven cases with four recovered. Two of today’s cases are individuals at Mendenhall River Community School. An additional classroom at Mendenhall River Community School will move to distance delivery, which means two classrooms total at the school are distance.

Cumulatively, Juneau has had 1,311 residents test positive for COVID-19 and 158 nonresidents. There are 21 active cases in Juneau and 1,443 individuals have recovered. All individuals with active cases of COVID-19 are in isolation. There is currently one person with COVID-19 hospitalized at Bartlett Regional Hospital.

Statewide, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) reports 232 new people identified with COVID-19 over the past three days – 225 are residents and seven are nonresidents. Alaska has had 66,350 cumulative resident cases of COVID-19 and a total of 2,767 nonresidents.