Technical issue contributes to about 30 unreported COVID-19 cases Nov. 9-16

In its COVID-19 data summary, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is not reporting any new COVID-19 cases for Juneau for November 17. While case numbers have been declining in recent weeks, there’s been a technical issue in DHSS receiving lab results from Bartlett Regional Hospital. According to Juneau Public Health, the issue has contributed to about 30 unreported cases between November 9 and November 16. During this timeframe, Juneau Public Health received BRH molecular lab results. However, the DHSS technical issue temporarily affected how it received that data from BRH.

BRH’s lab processes tests from the City and Borough of Juneau’s Drive-Thru testing facility and tests done at BRH. The City and Borough of Juneau anticipates the issue resolving in the near future and DHSS including the unreported cases in future data summaries. Even with the unreported cases, Juneau has still been seeing a sustained decline in case rate and test positivity.

There are currently three people with COVID-19 hospitalized at Bartlett Regional Hospital. No one from the Juneau School District has tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday.

Statewide, DHSS reports 427 new people identified with COVID-19 – 423 are residents and four are nonresidents. The state also reports two additional deaths bringing the total number of resident deaths to 812:

• Female Fairbanks resident in her 60s
• Male Wasilla resident in his 40s

Alaska has had 141,686 cumulative resident cases of COVID-19 and a total of 5,354 nonresidents.