May 31, 2020 - 4:32 PM
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Alaska on Sunday reported 27 new coronavirus cases, the largest one-day increase reported since the start of the pandemic.
Cases have spiked since Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, loosened restrictions put into place to guard against the virus’ spread. The state on April 24 began easing restrictions on businesses. Most restrictions on businesses were lifted May 22, though some local governments opened later. Dunleavy said at the time that he expected case numbers would rise and that the state would respond to any spikes or clusters.
Sunday’s count was the most single-day cases since 22 were reported April 6. This comes after 13 new cases were reported Thursday, which was the state’s first double-digit increase in cases in six weeks. The state now has a total of 460 cases involving residents.
The state’s death count remains at 10, and a death attributed to COVID-19 hasn’t been recorded since May 5.
Of the 27 news cases, 12 are in Anchorage. Wasilla has four cases, while Kenai and Eagle River have three each. Homer reported two new cases, with one each in Soldotna, Anchor Point and the last reported generally in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. The vast majority of people recover.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020