Alaska reports its second-highest COVID-19 hospitalization tally

The state reports nearly 2,300 cases over the weekend. Plus: Fact-checking claims about COVID-19 case trends, death rates, masks and ivermectin. Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( [Anchorage Daily News]( Today's sponsor: [Today's sponsor: Northrim Bank]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Monday, October 4. In today's newsletter: - Alaska reports its second-highest COVID-19 hospitalizations tally and nearly 2,300 cases over the weekend. - Fact-checking claims about COVID-19 case trends, death rates, masks and ivermectin. - With no dam to stop it, the Eklutna River is temporarily reborn. Many people hope to keep it alive for good. Is it a deal breaker if your partner has a tattoo of their ex's name? [Advice writing duo Wayne and Wanda tackle that topic in their latest column](, responding to a reader whose impulsive decision to ink her then-boyfriend's name years ago has become a sticking point in her current relationship. ☀️ Anchorage weather Sunny with a high near 45 this afternoon. Overnight there's a slight chance of rain and snow, then a looming chance of rain throughout the day tomorrow. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Ryan Cunningham, rcunningham@adn.com [Alaska reports 2nd highest COVID-19 hospitalizations tally and nearly 2,300 cases over the weekend]( [Alaska reports 2nd highest COVID-19 hospitalizations tally and nearly 2,300 cases over the weekend]( By Monday, 216 people were hospitalized with the virus statewide, just one shy of the record set Sept. 24. A majority of the 31 health care facilities in the state now have crisis standards of care activated, though the situation varies widely from place to place. Some hospitals are reporting that up to nearly half of their patients are COVID-positive. [Read More]( [COVID-19 in Alaska: Fact-checking claims about case trends, death rates, masks and ivermectin]( [COVID-19 in Alaska: Fact-checking claims about case trends, death rates, masks and ivermectin]( In Anchorage over the past week, a divided city [debated]( whether to implement a mask mandate, and Mayor Dave Bronson touted a debunked medical treatment, pointed to data that he said showed Alaska’s case counts were actually declining and questioned the effectiveness of masks. We fact-checked some of these claims. [Read More]( [With no dam to stop it, the Eklutna River is temporarily reborn. Many people hope to keep it alive for good.]( [With no dam to stop it, the Eklutna River is temporarily reborn. Many people hope to keep it alive for good.]( The river’s water has been diverted since 1929, but it sprang back to life on Sept. 13, when the utilities that own a hydroelectric project at Eklutna Lake opened a small drainage gate, intentionally feeding water into the river for the first time. The temporary release is part of a study to help determine if the river should be supplied with water year-round. [Read More]( [4 things to know as Alaska’s redistricting board takes public testimony Monday in Anchorage]( [4 things to know as Alaska’s redistricting board takes public testimony Monday in Anchorage]( The five-person board will meet today at the Dena’ina Center to take public comment on six proposals for new legislative boundaries. The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. and is scheduled to run through 6:30 p.m. Whether you’re interested in attending Monday’s meeting or simply want to follow the process, here's what to know. [Read More]( [SPONSORED: Five reasons to schedule your next mammogram today]( [SPONSORED: Five reasons to schedule your next mammogram today]( Presented by Providence Imaging Center: It’s easy to come up with reasons to put off a screening mammogram -- but Alaska medical experts say there’s no excuse to delay the lifesaving test. [Read More]( More from the ADN [Pandora Papers show foreign money secretly floods U.S. tax havens. Some of it is tainted.]( [Pandora Papers show foreign money secretly floods U.S. tax havens. Some of it is tainted.]( [Read More]( [As budget struggles continue, Alaska’s special legislative sessions aren’t so special anymore]( [As budget struggles continue, Alaska’s special legislative sessions aren’t so special anymore]( [Read More]( [Crisis standards of care are now active for 20 health care facilities across Alaska]( [Crisis standards of care are now active for 20 health care facilities across Alaska]( [Read More]( [Vehicle fatally strikes bicyclist in South Anchorage, police say]( [Vehicle fatally strikes bicyclist in South Anchorage, police say]( [Read More]( [More counterfeit painkillers are showing up in Anchorage, raising risks of overdose]( [More counterfeit painkillers are showing up in Anchorage, raising risks of overdose]( [Read More]( The ADN relies on readers like you. [Get digital access to the ADN for about $4 per week]( and help us cover the news that matters most here in Alaska. 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