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(Photo by University of Arizona)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information on the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for February 18, 2021.
PHOENIX – Arizona officials on Thursday reported 1,143 new cases of coronavirus and 213 more deaths from COVID-19.
It was the sixth day in a row with fewer than 2,000 new cases, but the highest death rate since February 9.
The state’s updated documented totals were 802,198 coronavirus infections and 15,276 deaths, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard.
After reaching record highs in the first part of January, the number of cases and hospitalizations fell to pre-Thanksgiving levels in Arizona.
The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 hospital patients in state hospitals fell to 1,823 on Wednesday, the least since November 18. The number of intensive care beds used by COVID-19 patients has fallen to 566, the least since November 27.
Arizona’s weekly percentage of positivity for COVID-19 diagnostic tests, an indicator of the virus’s spread in the community, has been declining since the start of the year.
Of the 16,336 people tested so far this week, 10% have tested positive. The rate was 9%, the lowest in nearly four months, for 90,955 people tested last week.
Official positivity rates are based on when samples are taken, not when they are reported, so the percentage over the past few weeks may fluctuate as labs catch up with testing and results. are documented by the state.
The seven-day average of new coronavirus cases reported by the state’s health department was 1,687.14 on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press tracking, the lowest score since November 9.
The seven-day average of newly reported deaths had remained stubbornly high since the start of February, but two days of steep declines brought it down to 85.86 on Wednesday. That’s less than half the pandemic record set a month ago and the first time since Jan.4, it was below the July peak of Arizona’s first wave.
In Wednesday’s update from the United States Centers for Disease Control, Arizona remained third in the country in COVID-19 deaths per capita over the past seven days, but was in 19th place.
The Arizona Department of Health updates case, death, and testing data daily after the state receives and confirms statistics, which can take several days or more. They do not represent actual activity over the past 24 hours.
Hospitalization data released each morning is reported electronically the night before by hospitals statewide, as required by the executive order.
COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has no impact on some people and is severely disabling or fatal for others. People who are infected without symptoms – which include, but are not limited to, cough, fever, and difficulty breathing – are able to spread the virus.
Diagnostic tests are available in hundreds of places across Arizona and should be researched by anyone with symptoms or who may have been exposed to an infected person. Information on locations, times and registration can be found on the Department of Health Services website.
For more information on vaccine availability statewide, the ADHS website has a vaccine search page with a map of locations and registration information.
Below are Thursday’s latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic statewide, nationwide, and globally:
- The Navajo Nation has reported 43 new cases of coronavirus and 13 additional deaths, bringing the documented totals to 29,386 infections – including seven delayed cases – and 1,127 deaths.
- Some, but not all, shipments of the weather-delayed COVID-19 vaccine to Arizona are on their way to the state, authorities said.
- US Senator Mark Kelly said KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News to follow up on a request to the federal government for resources to test migrants at the border for COVID-19.
- According to Arizona’s COVID-19 Dashboard, vaccine administration is on track to fully consume the state’s available supply as of Friday. But the numbers can be misleading.
- The Arizona Department of Health Services scorecard shows that 1,339,829 of the 1,395,300 doses of COVID-19 vaccine allocated to the state have been administered, an increase of 48,776 from the update. the day before. Over a million people have now received at least one injection in Arizona.
- The University of Arizona COVID-19 vaccination site is now officially a state-run operation. The first round of 12,000 nominations was quickly filled earlier this week.
- Globally, there were an estimated 110.02 million cases of COVID-19 and 2.43 million deaths as of Thursday morning, according to research from Johns Hopkins University. The figures for the United States were around 27.83 million cases and 490,000 deaths.
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