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| Republic of Arizona
Arizona reported more than 4,300 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, slightly below the records in recent days, but in line with troubling trends, including the highest number of hospitalizations reported since August.
The continuing rise in cases and hospitalizations comes as Arizona’s healthcare system braces for pressures from a new wave of COVID-19, the situation worsening state and nationwide as Thanksgiving approaches. And it comes days after Gov. Doug Ducey explained his decision to reject a statewide mask warrant, many believed, could help curb the spread of the virus.
Identified COVID-19 cases in Arizona rose from 4,331 on Sunday to 299,665, and known deaths increased by 7 to 6,464, according to the daily report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
New cases have eclipsed 1,000 in 20 of the past 23 days, with 13 of those days seeing more than 2,000 new cases for the first time since the state’s summer surge. Sunday was the ninth time the state had reported more than 4,000 new cases in one day since the start of the pandemic (six days in late June and early July, plus Thursday, Friday and Sunday). The United States recently reported new record daily cases.
Rates of new cases in Arizona are lower than rates reported in 30 other states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID Data Tracker. Cases are increasing in North Dakota, where the new case rate per 100,000 people in the previous seven days was 162.9 on Saturday, the CDC reports. By comparison, Arizona’s rate was 44.1.
The increase in new COVID-19 cases in the summer was an early indicator of more hospitalizations and deaths in the weeks to come.
Ducey, at a press briefing on Wednesday, his first since Oct. 29, said the increase in COVID-19 in the state meant “getting back to normal is not in the cards at the moment “. But Ducey has not announced any new restrictions or requirements on Arizonans to stop the spread of COVID-19, despite growing calls in recent days for a statewide mask warrant and other measures.
The number of patients hospitalized statewide for known or suspected cases of COVID-19 was 1,932 on Saturday, the highest number reported since August 4. exceeded 3,000.
The number of patients with suspected or known COVID-19 in intensive care units in Arizona was 438 on Saturday, the highest number of intensive care beds used in a single day since August 14. The level is lower than it was in July, when the ICU beds used for COVID-19 reached 970.
The number of Arizonans with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 on ventilators was 256 on Saturday, the highest number of ventilators used in a single day since August 18. As of mid-July, up to 687 patients across the state with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
Sunday’s dashboard shows 89% of inpatient beds and 90% of intensive care beds in use, which includes people being treated for COVID-19 and other patients. COVID-19 patients used 22% of all inpatient beds and 25% of intensive care beds. Overall, 35% of the fans were on.
The percentage of positivity, which refers to the percentage of positive COVID-19 diagnostic tests, has increased, which many health experts see as an early indicator of a spike in illness.
Among the known test results of the last week, the percentage of positivity was 12%, compared to 11% week before, depending on the condition, which has a unique way of calculating the percentage of positivity. The percentage of positivity was 4% for several weeks in August, September and October, according to state data.
Johns Hopkins University calculates Arizona’s seven-day moving average of the percentage of positives at 18.2% on Sunday. This shows that the state’s positivity percentage is on the rise.
A 5% positivity rate is considered a good benchmark for the spread of the disease to be under control.
What you need to know about Sunday numbers:
Cases reported in Arizona: 299 665
Cases have increased by 4,331, or 1.46%, from the 295,334 cases identified on Saturday since the start of the epidemic.
Cases by county: 190,034 in Maricopa, 36,115 in Pima, 16,700 in Yuma, 15,169 in Pinal, 7,602 in Navajo, 6,928 in Coconino, 5,640 in Mohave, 4,921 in Apache, 4,384 in Yavapai, 3,588 in Santa Cruz, 3,137 in Cochise, 2,619 in Gila, 1904 in Graham, 750 in La Paz and 174 in Greenlee, according to state numbers.
The case rate per 100,000 population is highest in Yuma County, followed by Apache, Santa Cruz and Navajo counties. The rate in Yuma County is 7,262.2 cases per 100,000 population. For comparison, the average US rate is 3,579 cases per 100,000 people, according to the CDC.
The Navajo Nation reported 14,612 cases and 626 confirmed deaths on Saturday. The Navajo Nation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Tribal leaders reinstated a three-week lockdown on the home from November 16 due to what authorities called the “uncontrolled spread” of COVID-19 in tribal communities.
The Arizona Corrections Department said 2,916 inmates tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, including 1,055 in Tucson; 41,597 inmates statewide have been tested. A total of 937 prison staff have self-reported positive, the state’s Corrections Department said. Nineteen people incarcerated in Arizona have been confirmed to have died from COVID-19, and nine more deaths are under investigation.
While race / ethnicity is unknown for 29% of all COVID-19 cases statewide, 30% of cases are Hispanic or Latino, 28% are white, 6% are Native American, 3% are black and 1% are Asian / Pacific Islander.
Of those who have tested positive in Arizona since the start of the pandemic, 15% were under 20, 47% were between 20 and 44, 15% were between 45 and 54, 11% were between 55 and 64 and 12% were over 65.
Laboratories performed 2,104,352 diagnostic tests for COVID-19, of which 10.3% came back positive. This number now includes both PCR and antigen testing. The percentage of positive tests had increased since mid-May, but began to decline in July and remained stable around 4% for several weeks, according to the state. Last week it was 12%, compared to 11% and 9% the previous two weeks. State numbers omit data from laboratories that do not electronically report.
ADHS has started to include probable cases such as anyone who tests positive for antigen, another type of test to determine current infection. Antigen testing (not related to antibody testing) is a newer type of COVID-19 diagnostic test that uses a nasal swab or other fluid sample to test for current infection. Results are usually produced within 15 minutes.
A positive antigen test result is considered very accurate, but there is an increased risk of false negative results, according to the Mayo Clinic. Depending on the situation, Mayo Clinic officials say a doctor may recommend a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to confirm a negative antigen test result.
Arizona had the 25th highest overall infection rate in the country on Friday. North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Illinois, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Wyoming, Alabama, Louisiana, Kansas, Minnesota and Rhode are ahead of Arizona. Island, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nevada, Florida, Indiana and Georgia, according to the CDC.
Arizona’s infection rate is 4,067 cases per 100,000 people, according to the CDC. The national average is 3,579 cases per 100,000 population, although rates in hard-hit states at the start of the pandemic may be undercounted due to a lack of available tests in March and April.
Deaths reported: 6,464
Deaths by County: 3896 in Maricopa, 674 in Pima, 375 in Yuma, 267 in Navajo, 252 in Pinal, 251 in Mohave, 193 in Apache, 164 in Coconino, 107 in Yavapai, 87 in Gila, 78 in Cochise, 68 in Santa Cruz, 33 in Graham, 18 in La Paz and under three in Greenlee.
People aged 65 and over accounted for 4,620 of the 6,464 deaths, or 71%. Subsequently, 16% of deaths were in the 55-64 age group, 7% were 45-54 and 6% were 20-44 years old.
While race / ethnicity is unknown for 11% of deaths, 43% of those who died were White, 29% were Hispanic or Latino, 11% were Native American, 3% were black, and 1% were Asian / Islander Pacific state data show.
The worldwide death toll as of Sunday morning was 1,383,788, and the United States had the highest death toll of any country in the world, at 255,959, according to Johns Hopkins University. Arizona’s total death toll of 6,464 deaths represents 2.52% of COVID-19 deaths in the United States on Sunday.
Arizona’s COVID-19 death rate was 89 per 100,000 people on Saturday, according to the CDC, placing it 11th in the country in a state ranking that separates New York and New York state. The US average is 76 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the CDC.
Behind New York City, with 288 deaths per 100,000 population, the CDC places the highest death rates ahead of Arizona like New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi, Rhode Island, North Dakota, the District of Columbia and Illinois.
Contact the reporter at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @curtis_chels.
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