Arizona reports 6,058 new coronavirus cases, 54 more deaths

This is a regularly updated story with the latest information on the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for December 23, 2020.

PHOENIX – Arizona health officials on Wednesday reported 6,058 new cases of coronavirus and 54 more deaths, as hospitals across the state treat a record number of COVID-19 patients.

The state’s documented totals have increased to 473,273 COVID-19 infections and 8,179 deaths, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Daily reports showcase data on cases, deaths, and testing after the state receives and confirms statistics, which can be delayed for days or more. They do not represent actual activity over the past 24 hours.

Several COVID-19 measurements in Arizona remain at or near their highest.

Arizona’s number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 hospital patients hit an all-time high of 4,163 on Tuesday, an increase of 144 from the previous day. This was the 10th daily record for coronavirus hospital patients in the past 12 days.

The number of COVID-19 patients in the state’s intensive care beds was 972, breaking the July 13 record of 970.

Statewide, suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients occupied 49% of all inpatient beds, a record high, and 55% of all intensive care beds.

Overall, inpatient beds were 92% full and intensive care beds, a pandemic record, 93%. The state was reduced to 119 unused intensive care beds, the lowest number in the pandemic.

The seven-day average of newly reported COVID-19 deaths by the Department of Health climbed to 100.43 on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press tracking, breaking the July 30 record of 94.

The seven-day moving average of newly reported cases was 6,119 for Tuesday, up slightly from the previous day, but the second lowest score since December 11.

Arizona’s weekly percentage of positivity for COVID-19 diagnostic tests, an indicator of the virus’s spread in the community, is on track to hit an all-time high after stabilizing in recent weeks.

For 12,304 tests recorded this week, the positivity rate was 21%, which would match the record for the week starting June 28.

The rate was 18% for the previous three weeks.

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.

Hospitalization data published each morning is reported electronically the night before by 100 hospitals across the state, as required by the decree.

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.

Information on testing locations is available on the Arizona Department of Health Services website.

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Below are Wednesday’s latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic statewide, nationwide, and globally:

• With COVID-19 skyrocketing across Arizona, several facilities in Arizona’s largest hospital system, Banner Health, have cut back on elective surgeries and are operating at more than 100% capacity.
• A group of Arizona State University students won $ 500,000 in a face mask design competition aimed at overcoming common complaints about protective clothing.
• President Donald Trump has threatened to torpedo massive congressional relief against COVID-19 and the year-end package, overturning a hard-fought compromise amid a raging pandemic and deep economic uncertainty by demanding change that the other Republicans opposed.
• The number of Americans claiming unemployment benefits fell from 89,000 last week to 803,000, proving that the job market remains under pressure nine months after the coronavirus outbreak sent the US economy into recession and caused millions of layoffs.
• Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr Cara Christ said she “hoped” that hospitals across the state would have enough manpower to handle the continuing surge in patients with the disease. of COVID-19.
• Pfizer and BioNTech will provide the United States with an additional 100 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine under a second agreement.
• Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association, said KTAR News 92.3 FM in Chad and Gaydos Show that a new variant of coronavirus discovered in the UK may already be in the US, but that’s not worrying.
• Globally, there were an estimated 78.17 million cases of COVID-19 and 1.72 million deaths as of Wednesday morning, according to research from Johns Hopkins University. The figures for the United States were around 18.24 million cases and 323,000 deaths.

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