Alaska's hospital system is stretched thin as the state reports 3 more COVID-19 deaths

Plus: Gov. Mike Dunleavy files paperwork to begin fundraising for reelection in 2022, as former Gov. Bill Walker considers running. Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Friday, August 13. In today's newsletter: - Three new COVID-19 deaths are reported in Alaska as the state's hospital system is stretched thin. - Gov. Mike Dunleavy files paperwork to begin fundraising for reelection in 2022, as former Gov. Bill Walker considers running. - A new ballot measure would require Alaska to formally recognize Native tribes. Late yesterday, the federal Food and Drug Administration [approved]( extra doses of COVID-19 vaccine for Americans with weakened immune systems. Roughly 7 million American adults are classified as immune-compromised and could potentially receive another shot. [If you're wondering if you qualify, here are some questions and answers about the FDA's decision.]( ⛅ Anchorage weather Partly sunny this afternoon with a high near 63. Some isolated and scattered showers could pop up tonight and tomorrow, then Sunday looks to be partly sunny. Expect high temperatures in the mid-60s this weekend. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Ryan Cunningham, rcunningham@adn.com [Three new COVID-19 deaths in Alaska and a hospital system stretched thin]( [Three new COVID-19 deaths in Alaska and a hospital system stretched thin]( Alaska on Thursday reported the highest number of new cases in residents since early January. Health officials are warning the ongoing COVID-19 wave has yet to peak in a state with just over half its eligible residents fully vaccinated. "The virus has changed," says Dr. Anne Zink, the state’s chief medical officer. "It is spread more easily from person to person and is really rapidly spreading in the same time we have less health care capacity than we did before." [Read More]( [Dunleavy files paperwork to begin fundraising for re-election in 2022]( [Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy files paperwork to begin fundraising for reelection in 2022]( On Friday, Dunleavy's campaign submitted a letter of intent with state regulators allowing him to begin fundraising for the 2022 election. Dunleavy has not officially filed with the Alaska Division of Elections, but most candidates begin raising money months before officially registering. Meanwhile, former independent Gov. Bill Walker said Friday he’s giving "very serious consideration" to running next year. [Read More]( [New ballot measure would require Alaska to formally recognize Native tribes]( [New ballot measure would require Alaska to formally recognize Native tribes]( The measure is identical to a bill that passed the state House of Representatives in 2020 and earlier this year. According to a legal analysis, it "will not have any legal impact on the relationship between the state and tribes." One of the ballot measure's sponsors says the measure would be "about respect and solidifying a relationship" between the state and the tribes that live within its boundaries. [Read More]( [Clean-energy projects will be highlighted during Alaska visit by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm]( [Clean-energy projects will be highlighted during Alaska visit by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm]( U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm plans to spend two days in Alaska to showcase what Granholm’s office calls the state’s status as "America’s living laboratory." The visit starts Sunday in Fairbanks, where Granholm and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski will make several planned stops, then they'll travel to Anchorage on Monday. [Read More]( [Census figures show Mat-Su gained most new residents]( [Census figures show Mat-Su gained most new residents]( The Matanuska-Susitna Borough gained 18,086 residents between 2010 and 2020, a growth rate of just over 20%, according to [new data from the U.S. Census Bureau](. Census numbers show the sprawling borough with a total of 107,081 residents. The Fairbanks North Star Borough lost the most people in the last decade, nearly 2,000 residents, or 2% of its population. It has 95,655 residents. [Read More]( More from the ADN [Anchorage expands COVID-19 testing sites to ease lines]( [Anchorage expands COVID-19 testing sites to ease lines]( [Read More]( [COVID-19 in Alaska prisons shutter visitation and some services]( [COVID-19 in Alaska prisons shutter visitation and some services]( [Read More]( [ COVID-19 steals four games from opening week of high school football]( [COVID-19 steals four games from opening week of high school football]( [Read More]( [Anchorage man who took part in torturing man before putting him in a dog kennel sentenced to 50 years in prison]( [Anchorage man who took part in torturing man before putting him in a dog kennel sentenced to 50 years in prison]( [Read More]( [July 2021 was Earth’s hottest month ever recorded, NOAA finds]( [July 2021 was Earth’s hottest month ever recorded, NOAA finds]( [Read More]( The ADN relies on readers like you. 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