There is a lot of news regarding the coronavirus in Arizona.
In an effort to track the changes, 12 News has started a daily live blog.
Here is the live blog for Tuesday, April 14.
Major updates:
- There are now 3,806 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona as of Tuesday morning.
- 131 people have died from the virus or complications related to the virus in Arizona, as of Tuesday morning.
- The state does not record how many people have recovered.
- Health department released expanded data regarding coronavirus cases in Arizona for the first time including zip codes of case locations. Scroll down for the ZIP code map.
- The IRS is now depositing coronavirus stimulus checks
Need to know:
- Here's the national live blog for Tuesday, April 14
- Here’s how to get tested for coronavirus in Arizona
- Concern grows for people quarantined with abusers
- How to prepare for an unexpected hospitalization amid COVID-19 spread
There are now 3,806 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona, 131 deaths
There are now 3,806 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona, with 131 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the state's latest numbers.
Cases are up from 3,702 confirmed cases on Monday with 122 deaths.
One week ago, there were 2,575 cases and 73 deaths in Arizona.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 2,056
- Pima: 685
- Pinal: 175
- Coconino: 270
- Navajo: 355
- Apache: 97
- Mohave: 45
- La Paz: 4
- Yuma: 17
- Graham: 2
- Cochise: 15
- Santa Cruz: 10
- Yavapai: 70
- Gila: 3
- Greenlee: 2
Navajo Nation confirms five new deaths and 25 new cases
The Navajo Department of Health and Navajo Area Indian Health Service confirmed five more deaths related to coronavirus, bringing the nation's total to 33.
The nation also stated an increase of 25 cases since Monday, bringing its total to 838.
Mohave County confirms 48 cases
The Mohave County Health Department (MCDPH) Nursing staff has confirmed three new positive COVID-19 cases in the Kingman service area, bringing the county's total to 48.
The county's breakdown stated that there are now 17 positive confirmed cases in the Lake Havasu City area, including two earlier deaths, 27 in Kingman, and 4 in Bullhead City.
Scottsdale police dispatcher tests positive
The Scottsdale police dispatch center is being moved to another location temporarily after an SPD dispatcher tested positive for COVID-19, the department announced Tuesday.
Dispatch operations will return to their usual location after a deep-cleaning.
PPE getting 'hijacked' before getting to Arizona, Phoenix fire chief says
Phoenix Fire Chief Kara Kalkbrenner says emergency protective gear such as gowns and N95 masks ordered by the Phoenix Fire Department are getting “hijacked” before they ever arrive in Arizona.
Kalkbrenner’s comments came Tuesday after 12 News asked her about a photo posted on Facebook showing two Phoenix firefighters responding to a recent emergency wearing rain ponchos instead of protective gowns. First responders are advised to cover their uniforms while helping the public to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Gov. Ducey announces antibody tests for first responders and health professionals
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced in a press conference that the state will be teaming up with the University of Arizona to provide antibody tests for 250,000 first responders and healthcare professionals.
The tests will check for antibodies through an individual's blood sample to find out if they were exposed to coronavirus. Both the university and state are working to get approval from the federal government to move forward with the testing.
“Antibody testing is not a cure-all, but learning more about it is an important step to identifying community exposure," Gov. Ducey said.
Arizona releases ZIP code locations of coronavirus cases, other data
For the first time, the Arizona Department of Health Services released expanded data points regarding coronavirus cases in Arizona on Sunday April 12.
The AZDHS website now features the location of confirmed cases in Arizona by zip code. Additionally, demographics including race and ethnicity on confirmed coronavirus-related deaths, hospital information and more are being reported by the state.
You can see the current ZIP code map below and can find yours by clicking around or searching for your ZIP code in the top right of the map.
The two ZIP codes with the most cases in Arizona as of Tuesday morning are 85382 in Peoria/Glendale (71) and 85714 in Tucson (70).
There are currently 23 ZIP codes in the state with 30 or more cases and seven with 50 or more.
AZDHS also released demographics on the coronavirus-related deaths in Arizona up to this point. As of Tuesday morning, 61% of the 131 deaths have been men.
Data shows 35% of deaths in Arizona have been white/non-Hispanic individuals, 20% have been Native Americans, 9% have been Hispanic.
AZDHS shows the race/ethnicity are unknown in 31% of the deaths.
In terms of testing numbers, AZDHS shows 44,096 people have been tested in Arizona.
Since testing began in February, 92% of tests returned negative and 8% positive.
AZDHS shows how many tests have been conducted in each county on the map above.
Navajo Nation cases jump to 813, 28 deaths
The total number of positive tests for COVID-19 has reached 813 for the Navajo Nation as of Monday.
That's an increase of 115 positive cases over the last two days, according to the Navajo Department of Health and Navajo Area Indian Health Service.
There is now a total of 28 confirmed deaths related to COVID-19.
There are 3,028 total negative test results as of Thursday.
The 813 confirmed positive cases include the following counties:
- Navajo County, AZ: 269
- Apache County, AZ: 102
- Coconino County, AZ: 165
- McKinley County, NM: 138
- San Juan County, NM: 108
- Cibola County, NM: 11
- San Juan County, UT: 11
- Socorro County, NM: 6
- Sandoval County, NM: 3
2 Navajo Police Department employees test positive
The Navajo Police Department confirmed two employees have tested positive to COVID-19.
The employees have been placed on self-quarantine and are monitoring their symptoms.
“Our employee’s health and wellbeing is a priority and as essential employees working in the field of public safety, we are not immune from the possibility of having one of our law enforcement family contract the virus," Chief of Police Phillip Francisco said in a statement.
"As the numbers of positive cases increase across the Navajo Nation, so does our risk of being exposed."
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to recieve $147M in federal funding
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and 58 other airports across Arizona will receive nearly $225 million total in funding to help respond to the coronavirus public health emergency.
Out of the total $224,869,172 in airport aid, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is set to receive $147,883,988.
The money will "help fund the continued operations of our nation’s airports during this crisis and save workers’ jobs,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said in a statement.
The department said the money would "support continuing operations and replace lost revenue resulting from the sharp decline in passenger traffic and other airport business due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funds are available for airport capital expenditures, airport operating expenses including payroll and utilities, and airport debt payments."
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:
- 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.
