PHOENIX — In an effort to track the changes with the coronavirus outbreak in Arizona, 12 News has started a daily live blog.
Here is the live blog for Saturday, Feb. 20.
Major updates:
- There have been 806,163 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 15,480 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Saturday.
- There have been 374,229 Arizonans fully vaccinated as of Saturday.
- The state does not record how many people have recovered, but Johns Hopkins University estimates the number of people who have recovered.
- You can find COVID-19 testing sites here.
- Go to 12News.com/Vaccine to find more information on the COVID-19 vaccines.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.
- Extreme weather nationwide delays COVID-19 vaccine shipments for Arizona.
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Saturday
There have been 806,163 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 15,480 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state's latest numbers.
That's an increase from the 804,116 confirmed cases and 15,421 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Friday.
A week ago, there were 795,323 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 14,948 deaths reported in Arizona.
More Arizona COVID-19 vaccine appointments postponed due to weather
As a winter storm continues to pound large swaths of the U.S., continued delays to vaccine shipments in Arizona have forced more appointments to be postponed, officials said Thursday.
The Arizona Department of Health Services says the new round of delays are in Pima County and affect people scheduled at:
- Tucson Medical Center, beginning Feb. 18, for some second dose appointments;
- Tucson Convention Center, beginning Feb. 19;
- Banner South, beginning Feb. 19
Peoria school district to host closed COVID-19 vaccination site this weekend
The Peoria Unified School District will host a closed COVID-19 vaccination site this weekend, it was announced Thursday.
The Point of Dispensing site will be open at Liberty High School from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The event will be by appointment only.
It will only be available for Peoria Unified staff and other educators and childcare workers in the community. The event is not open to the greater community and eligibility will be checked upon arrival.
The Moderna vaccine will be given at the closed POD.
More than 800 people are expected to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. Another event for the second dose is expected to be held in March.
Eligible people can make an appointment through the county health department.
Banner Health eases visitor restrictions at hospitals, ambulatory locations
Banner Health changed its visitor restrictions for hospital and ambulatory locations in Arizona, it was announced Friday.
One visitor is allowed per patient per day for most in-patients. Out-patient locations and services will also allow one companion to accompany patients.
In-patient visitation hours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
More details about the changes, including a list of exceptions, can be found on the hospital's visitor restrictions page.
Here is the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines in Arizona
The Arizona Department of Health Services said more than 1.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered as of Friday.
Who can get a COVID-19 vaccine?
The state and each county is offering vaccines to people in Phase 1B. Gila County has extended vaccines to some people in Phase 1C. Learn more about the phases here.
How can I sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine?
You can sign up for a vaccine through the state here or find more information about finding up through the counties here.
Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine?
There are three locations where the state is administering vaccines: State Farm Stadium, Phoenix Municipal Stadium and University of Arizona's Tucson campus. All other locations are run through the individual counties or federal programs.
Where can I find more information on a COVID-19 vaccine?
You can find more vaccine information at 12News.com/Vaccine.
COVID-19 data dashboard now includes vaccine information
The Arizona Department of Health Services updated its COVID-19 data dashboard to include information including vaccination numbers and demographic data.
The new information can be found on the dashboard in the tab right next to the summary tab where daily coronavirus cases, deaths, and testing numbers are updated.
You can see the updated dashboard here.
Arizona health department sets up hotline to report businesses
The Arizona Department of Health Services has set up two ways for people to report local businesses that are not following COVID-19 guidelines.
People can report businesses through a hotline or through an online form:
- Submit a complaint online at www.azhealth.gov/complianceCOVID19
- Calling the COVID-19 Compliance Hotline at 1-844-410-2157
“There’s a role for the public as well: If you believe a business isn’t following these requirements, which were established for the safety of customers, employees, and the broader public, ADHS encourages you to share your concerns so local and state officials can follow up as needed,” AZDHS said in a statement.
Free masks available for some Arizonans
The Arizona Department of Health Services announced that some Arizonans would be able to get free masks from the state.
The department partnered with Hanes to provide free face masks to Arizona’s most vulnerable populations.
Anyone who is part of a vulnerable population (including, but not limited to, individuals with medical conditions or individuals age 65 or older), a student (or parents on behalf of students), school staff member or who may not be able to purchase one is able to get a free mask.
Each other will provide five washable, reusable cloth face masks, one order per household.
The department hopes to give out two million cloth face masks.
Anyone with questions can visit the department's FAQs page or contact Hanes at 1-800-503-6698.
Arizona releases ZIP code locations of coronavirus cases, other data
The Arizona Department of Health Services has released expanded data points regarding coronavirus cases in the state.
The AZDHS website now features the location of confirmed cases in Arizona by zip code.
You can see the current ZIP code map here and can find yours by clicking around or searching for your ZIP code in the top right of the map.
More information on coronavirus cases from Friday
There have been 806,163 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 15,480 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.
That's an increase from the 804,116 confirmed cases and 15,421 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Friday.
There were 2,047 new cases reported on Saturday, an increase from the 1,918 new cases reported on Friday.
There were 59 new deaths reported on Saturday, a decrease from the 145 new deaths reported on Friday.
There were 12,158 cases reported on the collection date of Jan. 4, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. The day with the second-most collected diagnoses so far was on Dec. 28, with 11,655 cases. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of deaths was Jan. 18, when 167 people died. The day with the second-highest number of deaths was Jan. 13, when 162 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 15,100 new tests were reported on Saturday, a decrease from the 15,252 new tests reported on Friday.
There have been a total of 4,116,060 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Saturday.
14.2% of those tests have been positive as of Saturday, the same as Friday.
Here's a breakdown of the number of cases reported in each county:
- Maricopa: 503,686
- Pima: 108,094
- Pinal: 45,434
- Coconino: 16,209
- Navajo: 15,448
- Apache: 10,244
- Mohave: 20,812
- La Paz: 2,379
- Yuma: 36,252
- Graham: 5,251
- Cochise: 10,980
- Santa Cruz: 7,609
- Yavapai: 16,869
- Gila: 6,342
- Greenlee: 551
Click on the links below to find more information from each county's health department:
COVID-19 is believed to be primarily spread through coughs or sneezes.
It may be possible for the virus to spread by touching a surface or object with the virus and then a person touching their mouth, nose or eyes, but this is not thought to be the main method of spread, the CDC says.
You should consult your doctor if you traveled to an area currently affected by COVID-19 and feel sick with fever, cough or difficulty breathing.
The best way to prevent COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases is to:
- Wear face coverings while in public.
- Practice social distancing while in public.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
You can text FACTS to 602-444-1212 to receive more information on the coronavirus and to ask questions.
More than 15,000 people in Arizona have died from COVID-19. Here’s a look back at a few of the Arizonans we lost to the coronavirus.