KENAI, Alaska (AP) — Nearly half of Alaska residents 16 and older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while more than half have received at least one dose, state public health officials said.

Data from the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services shows that 46.9% of state residents had received both doses while 52.6% had received at least one dose, the Peninsula Clarion reported Saturday. These rates were above the national average, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

These milestones were reached days after Alaska opened up vaccination appointments to children 12 and up following the CDC’s approval of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVD-19 vaccine for that age group.

Anchorage revoked its mask mandate on Friday ahead of its planned expiration date, the same day Juneau’s mask order was eased to allow fully vaccinated people to go in indoor public areas or at crowded outdoor events without a mask.

There were 1,316 new COVID-19 cases in Alaska in the two weeks before Sunday, according to the CDC.

Alaska’s average daily case counts are now trending down significantly statewide, though a few regions in the state are still in the highest alert category based on their current per capita rate of infection, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

The Associated Press