New COVID-19 cases in Alaska have sharply spiked over the last few days. On Wednesday the state set a new daily record of 1,095 cases - its second consecutive day of more than 1,000 cases.
State epidemiologists described the sudden increase in cases as the sharpest surge in the U.S. The sudden increase has overburdened most hospitals and officials are scrambling to implement measures to mitigate the further spread of the virus.
According to a report from The New York Times, Alaska now ranks in the top five U.S. states with the highest new daily COVID-19 cases and new hospitalizations. Alaska's Department of Health and Social Services warned on Thursday that the state now has more than double the national average infection rate.
"Alaska is experiencing one of the sharpest surges of COVID-19 in the country right now," the agency's head epidemiologist, Dr. Joe McLaughlin, said.
While other states that had experienced surges because of the Delta variant of the coronavirus are now seeing a gradual decline in new cases, Alaska is still dealing with the beginning of a new wave that is showing little signs of slowing down.
Providence Alaska Medical Center, the largest hospital in the states, announced that it has already started rationing medical care under its crisis protocols. The hospital said it could soon implement a worst-case scenario order where doctors will be asked to prioritize patients with higher chances of survival.
Other hospitals such as Alaska Native Medical Center and Alaska Regional Hospital are also now experiencing shortages resulting in longer waits and delayed surgeries. Hospitals said they are now short on doctors, nursing, and other medical staff as more COVID-19 patients are being brought in.
Health officials said Alaska's health care system is much more fragile than other states because of its isolated location and small population. Most facilities in the remote state are running at close to capacity and they are not set up to deal with a sudden influx of critical patients.
According to state data, about 206 COVID-19 patients are now in hospitals in Alaska - significantly higher than the hospitalizations last year. About half of those in hospitals are in Anchorage, with about 34 people on ventilators.
