ARIZONA, USA — 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, Nov. 14.
Major updates:
- There have been 273,053 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 6,300 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona 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.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Saturday
There have been 273,053 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 6,300 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state's latest numbers.
That's an increase from the 269,577 confirmed cases and 6,257 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Friday.
A week ago, there were 254,763 cases and 6,109 deaths reported in Arizona.
3,015 new cases, 17 new deaths reported Friday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 3,015 new cases and 17 new deaths on Friday.
It was the second day this week that the department reported more than 3,000 new cases. The first was on Tuesday, when 3,434 cases were reported.
Arizona has reported a total of 10,313 new cases since Monday.
Arizona reached 200,000 coronavirus cases on Aug. 27, 100,000 on July 6 and 50,000 cases on June 21. The state reached 6,000 coronavirus deaths on Nov. 3, 5,000 on Aug. 29, 4,000 on Aug. 6, 3,000 deaths on July 23, 2,000 on July 9 and 1,000 on June 5.
Arizona's Rt, pronounced r-naught, was at 1.18 on Wednesday, up from 1.15 on Tuesday.
The Rt is essentially a mathematical number that shows whether more people are becoming infected or less.
The concern is that any Rt over 1, no matter how small, means the virus may grow exponentially.
RELATED: This is the number that health officials are watching closely in the fight against COVID-19 (And you should too)
There were 5,449 cases reported on the collection date of June 29, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of reported deaths was July 17, when 103 people died. That is subject to change.
Health officials continued to stress that people should continue social distancing, wearing masks in public, and stay home when possible.
Arizona school districts' responses vary to growing outbreak
Arizona has reported over 3,000 additional known COVID-19 cases as the deepening coronavirus outbreak prompted varying responses by school districts across the state.
Some districts are returning to online instruction from partial in-school instruction and others are keeping their keeping their schools open.
The additional 3,015 cases and 17 deaths reported Friday by state Department of Health Services increased the state’s totals to 269,577 cases and 6,257 deaths.
The state has provided school districts with voluntary benchmarks to consider when deciding whether to reopen or reclose schools.
The benchmarks were updated Thursday and show worsening conditions in many areas recently.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Navajo Nation institutes 56-hour weekend curfew
Today, the Navajo Department of Health reported 172 new cases and no new deaths. The curfew will be in effect until 5 a.m. Monday morning.
On Sunday at 6 p.m., the Nez-Lizer Administration will hold an online town hall on their Facebook page to provide updates on the most current public health emergency orders.
Businesses like gas stations, grocery stores, laundromats and restaurants will be open between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Virus survivor: Double lung transplant 'a walking miracle'
Seven months after he was first hospitalized with COVID-19, a utility worker from Las Cruces, New Mexico, has a brand new set of lungs.
Doctors at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, where the transplant took place, are expected to release 52-year-old Arthur Sanchez on Saturday.
He is the first of two double lung transplants the hospital has performed on coronavirus patients since the pandemic began.
There have been reports of a handful of coronavirus patients nationwide who have received a lung transplant.
Sanchez has called himself “a walking miracle."
Doctors say he spent almost five months in various hospitals during his battle with the virus.
Free COVID-19 saliva testing available in Arizona this weekend
The Arizona Department of Health Services has partnered with ASU Biodesign to make free COVID-19 saliva testing available for Arizonans.
Testing opportunities on Friday and this weekend will occur in Mesa, Page, Globe, Flagstaff, Glendale and Tucson.
The testing on Friday includes:
Globe Testing
Where: Globe High Desert Middle School - 4000 High Desert Dr., Globe, AZ 85501
When: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
How: Pre-registration is required
Flagstaff Testing
Where: Fort Tuthill - 2446 Fort Tuthill Loop, Flagstaff, AZ 86005
When: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
How: Pre-registration is required
Uncontrolled COVID-19 spread in 34 Navajo Nation communities
Navajo Nation health officials on Wednesday warned residents of the “uncontrolled spread” of COVID-19 in 34 communities on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
In a statement, tribal President Jonathan Nez says the tribe is dealing with “an invisible monster” and the only way to beat the coronavirus is by doing it together and listening to public health experts.
The Navajo Nation will have a 56-hour weekend curfew beginning Friday night.
Tribal officials already have urged residents to wear face masks, practice social distancing and limit gatherings to less than five people.
The reservation spans more than 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers).
The above article is from The Associated Press.
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.
RELATED: Arizona’s health department wants you to report businesses that don’t enforce safety requirements
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 Saturday
There have been 273,053 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 6,300 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.
That's an increase from the 269,577 confirmed cases and 6,257 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Friday.
There were 3,476 new cases reported on Saturday, an increase from the 3,015 reported on Friday.
There were 43 new deaths reported on Saturday, an increase from 17 reported on Friday.
There were 5,449 cases reported on the collection date of June 29, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of reported deaths was July 17, when 103 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 20,052 new tests were reported on Saturday, a decrease from the 20,163 new tests reported on Friday.
There have been a total of 2,291,553 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Saturday.
9.7% of those tests have been positive as of Saturday, the same since Tuesday.
Here's a breakdown of the number of cases in each county:
- Maricopa: 174,957
- Pima: 32,207
- Pinal: 13,565
- Coconino: 6,248
- Navajo: 7,104
- Apache: 4,364
- Mohave: 5,062
- La Paz: 676
- Yuma: 15,236
- Graham: 1,648
- Cochise: 2,679
- Santa Cruz: 3,262
- Yavapai: 3,570
- Gila: 2,347
- Greenlee: 128
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.
There is no vaccine for the coronavirus, so 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.
Coronavirus facts you should know
