986 new COVID cases announced in Alaska

Alaska's health care crisis continues on as Alaska DHSS announced 986 total new cases of COVID-19 today. 22 of today's reported cases were reported among non-residents.

The number of patients hospitalized statewide with COVID-19 increased over yesterday with 208 hospitalizations reported today, 25 patients on ventilators and 21 staffed ICU beds available.

In Anchorage, 93 patients are reported as being hospitalized with COVID, 14 patients are on ventilators and the number of reported available staffed adult ICU beds dipped to 6. Among Anchorage's three local hospitals, only 16 staffed non-adult ICU beds were reported as being available.

In neighboring Mat-Su, 46 patients are hospitalized with COVID, 7 individuals are on ventilators and only 1 adult staffed ICU bed is reported as being available. 45.1% of the patients hospitalized at Mat-Su Regional Hospital are reported as COVID patients.

On Tuesday, the Anchorage Assembly passed an Emergency Order (EO) that mandates masks be worn in public spaces within the Municipality for two months. Yesterday, Anchorage Mayor David Bronson issued a press release in which he accused the Assembly of passing the EO “in the dark of night," and issued a veto of the emergency order.

Nine members of the Anchorage Assembly, deeply concerned about protecting public health and safety, voted in support of the emergency order, likely demonstrating that an override of Mayor Bronson's veto is imminent.

The Anchorage Assembly will meet in a Special Meeting today at 5 p.m.