Juneau’s 14-day COVID-19 recap: Aug. 2 – Aug. 15

Over the 14-day period from August 2 to August 15, there were 204 people in the Juneau community who tested positive for COVID-19 (that’s up from 138 during the previous two weeks):

• 8 percent of the cases were associated with a cluster involving an out-of-town youth sports event. To date, 22 people have tested positive with 15 recovered.
• Public Health attributed 49 percent of cases to secondary transmission, 15 percent to community spread, 5 percent to out-of-state travel, and 31 percent of the cases remain under investigation.
• 62 percent of the COVID-19 positive cases in Juneau were from unvaccinated individuals or those still completing their vaccine series; 38 percent of the cases were among individuals who were fully vaccinated (vaccine breakthrough). 1.17 percent of the population who were not fully vaccinated were COVID-positive. 0.37 percent of the fully vaccinated population contracted COVID-19. Among those who test positive in Juneau, the significant majority of fully vaccinated individuals are reporting symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to an experience similar to a very bad cold or sinus infection. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals are reporting symptoms from asymptomatic to severe illness. At the statewide level, 92 percent of all cases, 94 percent of all hospitalizations, and 96 percent of deaths among Alaska residents from January 1 through August 7 were in people who were not fully vaccinated.
• 50 percent of cases were contacted for contact tracing within 24 hours of a positive test being returned. Public Health continues to have difficulty with contact tracing due to the volume of positives, the number of close contacts among positives, and some hesitancy once individuals are contacted to fully cooperate in the contact tracing process.
• There is case positivity spread across all age and racial groups.

The overall community risk level is modified Level 3 High. The 7- and 14-day case rates remain elevated at the very high alert level. The Delta variant is driving case transmission locally and statewide. Case counts continue at a high rate, averaging 14.5 new cases a day in Juneau for the month of August. This is the highest rate Juneau has experienced since the beginning of the pandemic. The community is urged to be cautious. Everyone regardless of vaccination status is now required to mask when indoors in public places. It is highly recommended that individuals limit social contact to mitigate disease spread and allow for effective contact tracing. Individuals should test immediately if they have even mild symptoms. Travelers arriving/returning to Juneau are also encouraged to take a free test at the airport. The single most effective strategy to mitigate COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.

Vaccine update:

• 70.2 percent of the total population of Juneau has received at least 1 dose of vaccine and 66.1 percent has completed the vaccine series.
• 91.8 percent of the population in Juneau age 65+ has received at least one dose of vaccine and 89.1 percent has completed the vaccine series.

For more information, read the full Emergency Operations Center Reports, which include weekly recaps, here. And watch today’s COVID-19 Community Update at 4 p.m. Alaska Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink, plus others from the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, will be joining members of the City and Borough of Juneau’s Emergency Operations Center.