PHOENIX — The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way we live in the past few weeks, and we are only in the beginning stages, according to Arizona's top health official Dr. Cara Christ.
The state's leaders are busy preparing for a peak of illnesses in mid-to-late April, with most hospitalizations happening in May, Christ said during a press conference Wednesday.
Christ said that prediction is based on current computer models. She was asked what exactly the models show about potential coronavirus cases and deaths, but Gov. Ducey abruptly ended the news conference.
The state will likely need 13,000 hospital beds and 1,500 ICU beds in addition to the 16,000 hospital beds and 1,500 ICU beds we have now.
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There were 401 confirmed cases and six deaths in 11 counties in Arizona on Wednesday, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
As more people around the state get tested, the number is expected to rise. But at the moment, because of a shortage of tests available, they are limited to people showing COVID-19 symptoms or in high-risk populations.
The nation continues to face a shortage of medical and testing supplies as the number of cases increases.
Christ said she activated the State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee comprised of medical experts to create recommendations on the use of scarce equipment.
