SAN FRANCISCO - The US state of Alaska reported six deaths and 877 new COVID-19 cases Friday as COVID-19-related hospitalizations hovered in record territory.

By Friday, there were 225 people hospitalized with the virus around Alaska, narrowly below the new record of 235 set Thursday. Health officials said that there's not enough evidence to say cases have begun declining.

Alaska's case rate per 100,000 over the last week remains the highest in the nation, according to data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In total, 673 resident deaths tied to the virus and 25 nonresident deaths have been reported in Alaska since January 2020, according to the Anchorage Daily News.