The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released a new COVID-19 risk categorization system that takes most of Alaska, including the Mat-Su, out of the High Risk category.
The new scheme rates risk levels based on potential strain of communities and the healthcare system. To qualify for the low risk category, a community must have fewer than 200 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven day period. The Mat-Su is still above that mark, but below the number of hospitalizations that would elevate it to the high-risk category.
Along with the new classification system comes updated prevention guidelines. For areas in the medium-risk category, the CDC has backed off of the masking recommendation that has been the norm for two years. The CDC still advises vaccination against COVID-19 as the most effective means of preventing the disease, and encourages testing in individuals who develop symptoms. Those at higher risk for severe illness are advised to consult a doctor about further potential measures.
While the new CDC guidance can give a reprieve from masks, they still advise masking for those with symptoms, a positive COVID-19 test, or exposure to the virus that causes the disease.
Increasing vaccination rates nationwide are part of the CDC’s reasoning for the new classification formula. Statewide, about sixty percent of Alaskans have been vaccinated against COVID-19. In the Mat-Su, that number is closer to forty percent.
The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services has not changed its classification system as of Friday. That system still shows almost the entire state in the high-risk category.
A link to the CDC’s newest community guidance is available at KTNA.org.
