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As COVID-19 case counts keep rising in Arizona, expert predicts travel-related surge

Estimates say more than 80 million Americans traveled for the holidays.

PHOENIX — Arizona's COVID-19 case count keeps rising, and experts say another surge is coming. 

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, more than 17,000 positive cases were reported Sunday. 

The state said there may be some reporting lag, but the increase is somewhat expected in connection to gatherings from the Christmas holiday. 

Those are numbers that experts say are likely to increase after an estimated 84 million Americans traveled in recent weeks. 

"They just don’t think it’s them. 'I'm not the cause, I'm not the case, it’s not going to happen to me,'" Dr. Purnima Madhivanan, a University of Arizona epidemiologist said. 

“The proximity of people living in confined spaces, all of these things are going to be cause for use to worry.”

Resources in Arizona are already stretched thin as the state has seen COVID-19 cases and deaths rise rapidly. 

In December, COVID-19 killed more than 1,000 Arizonans. More than 180,000 people tested positive. 

Madhivanan expects that after all the holiday travel there to be another surge. 

“Absolutely, you just have to wait maybe another 10 days, just 10 days that’s it,“ Madhivanan said. 

“We need to prepare for a lot more deaths, we have to be prepared for not having any hospital spaces, no more hospital beds.”

It’s a dark projection experts have warned about for months. 

The steps to help prevent the spread, such as social distancing and wearing a mask, are not new. However, they are needed now to save lives before a vaccine becomes available to the masses. 

“Not doing the right thing can lead to hundreds of thousands of more cases and more deaths. Even before the vaccines have a chance to get this pandemic under control,” Madhivanan said.

For more updates on COVID-19 in the Valley and nationwide, subscribe to the 12 News YouTube channel.

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