Editorial

Life is returning toward normal, but it isn't normal yet. COVID-19 is still infecting people, putting some in the hospital and killing Alaskans.

The state reported four more deaths Thursday through Sunday last week, bringing the number of Alaskans killed by the virus to at least 374.

Last Friday, Sitka reported its worst COVID-19 outbreak since December, with five new infections, making a dozen new cases in just two days. And then 11 more were reported on Monday. Nearly all of Sitka's recent cases have been among people who were not vaccinated.

The state reported that 46 people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases were hospitalized in Alaska as of Monday, up more than 50% since last Friday.

It's not just Alaskans who are getting infected. The American Constellation, which can carry up to 170 passengers, docked in Juneau last Saturday for 10 days in quarantine after three passengers and crew members tested positive for COVID-19. The ill travelers remained behind in Petersburg, in quarantine. Passengers flew home from Juneau while crew remained quarantined aboard the ship.

The ship canceled a stop in Wrangell due to the change in plans.

State officials report that case counts in Alaska have been moving higher the past three weeks. They said the increase is likely due to the highly contagious Delta variant first identified in India in December and in Alaska in May. The variant will soon become the dominant strain in the state, said Dr. Joe McLaughlin, the state's epidemiologist.

Meanwhile, Alaska, which was once a leader in the nation in vaccination rates, is now down to No. 28 among the states. About 56% of Alaska's population over age 12 had received at least their first vaccine dose, state officials reported Monday.

Wrangell was at 61%. Good, but we can do better. We need to do better for our health and the health of our families, friends and neighbors.

The Coronavirus does not care about your political or religious beliefs, or how healthy you may eat or how much you exercise. Or whether you voted for Donald Trump, Joe Biden, or whether you think Facebook is the best thing since Johannes Gutenberg perfected the printing press in Germany in 1450.

The virus just looks for a warm body and sets up a shop.

So get a shot and shut down the shop before it shuts down your good health.