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 28.
Major updates:
- There are now 6,948 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona as of Tuesday morning.
- 293 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.
- Arizona's stay-at-home order expires Thursday.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code in Arizona.
Need to know:
- Here's the national live blog for Tuesday, April 28
- 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 6,948 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona, 293 deaths
There are now 6,948 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona, with 293 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the state's latest numbers.
Cases are up from 6,716 confirmed cases on Monday with 275 deaths.
One week ago, there were 5,251 cases and 208 deaths in Arizona.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 3,578
- Pima: 1,188
- Pinal: 365
- Coconino: 439
- Navajo: 665
- Apache: 380
- Mohave: 99
- La Paz: 7
- Yuma: 60
- Graham: 9
- Cochise: 37
- Santa Cruz: 31
- Yavapai: 77
- Gila: 11
- Greenlee: 2
There were 232 new cases reported on Tuesday and 18 new deaths reported. There were zero new deaths reported on Monday.
There were also 895 new tests reported on Tuesday. According to state health officials, 67,438 COVID-19 tests have been administered as of Tuesday. Of those tests, 9% have been positive.
Maricopa County makes up the highest number of cases in the state.
According to the state health department, the county has 3,578 cases but the county health department says it has 3,572.
Pima County has the second-highest number of cases, with 1,188 cases. Navajo County has 665 and Coconino County has 439.
The age group that still has the highest number of coronavirus cases is 20-44, with 2,557 cases. Ages 65-plus follows behind, with 1,736 cases.
The race and ethnicity is still unknown for a majority of cases, with 35% unknown. White, non-Hispanic makes up 29% of cases.
Women continue to make up a majority of coronavirus cases in Arizona, with 53%.
People without chronic medical conditions make up 71% of cases and people who are not considered high-risk make up 57% of cases.
Maricopa County is also leading the state in deaths, with 137, according to the state health department. The county health department says there are 135 deaths in the county as of Tuesday.
There are 78 deaths in Pima County and 38 in Coconino County.
Five Arizona counties have reported zero coronavirus deaths as of Tuesday: Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Cochise and Santa Cruz.
Men continue to make up the majority of coronavirus deaths in the state, with 57%. Ages 65-plus make up 223 deaths.
There are zero reported deaths under the age of 20.
The majority of coronavirus deaths were among white, non-Hispanic people, with 48%.
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 below and can find yours by clicking around or searching for your ZIP code in the top right of the map.
According to the Maricopa County health department, there were 623 hospitalizations and 183 ICU admissions.
The county's daily report dated Monday said the number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Maricopa County per day is "leveling off, but these numbers do not reflect testing ability."
County health officials said the best way to track COVID-19 trends is to "follow the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 because it does not change with testing availability."
According to county health officials, COVID-19 hospitalizations are leveling off.
"This means what we are doing seems to be working and we need to continue social distancing," the daily report read.
The risk of being admitted to a hospital or the ICU or dying due to COVID-19 infection increases with age.
People over the age of 65 made up the most hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths in Maricopa County, with 297 hospitalizations, 87 ICU admissions and 119 deaths in the county as of Monday.
According to the county, 99 long-term care facilities have had at least one resident or staff with COVID-19 as of Monday.
Of the 586 COVID-19 cases among long-term care residents, 141 have been hospitalized and 83 have died.
Of 253 COVID-19 cases among staff at long-term care facilities, 14 have been hospitalized and one has died.
Coconino County health officials said there were 435 cases as of Tuesday, but the state said there were 439.
Navajo Nation to issue another 57-hour weekend curfew
The Navajo Department of Health confirmed 104 new residents that have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 1,873. The nation also confirmed a total of 60 deaths.
In response to still growing cases, President Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer announced another 57-hour weekend curfew beginning Friday, May 1 at 8 p.m. and extending until Monday 4 at 5 a.m.
"We can caution the public all day long and issue as many public health orders as we want, but ultimately the choice to stay home or go out into public remains in the hands of each individual," Vice President Myron Lizer said. "Please talk to your family members, your friends, coworkers, and others and tell them to stay home to save lives."
Mohave County confirms seven people have died from COVID-19
The Mohave County Health Department (MCDPH) Nursing staff confirmed three more people in the county have died from COVID-19 complications, bringing the county's total to seven.
The first reported death is an individual who newly tested positive and is linked to another case, the county said. The other two were previously identified and were both linked to another case.
The county also that 101 people in the county have tested positive for the virus. The county area's breakdown of positive cases now includes 29 positive confirmed cases in the Lake Havasu City area, including three deaths, 61 in Kingman, with a total of four deaths there (including the three latest) and 11 in Bullhead City.
First Arizona prisoner dies from coronavirus
The first fatality from the coronavirus in Arizona prisons came two weeks ago when a 64-year-old inmate with diabetes died at a hospital in Tucson.
Pima County Medical Examiner Gregory Hess said Joseph Assyd died as a result of COVID-19 after suffering a respiratory infection.
Over the last week, corrections officials have declined to say whether any prisoners had died from the virus.
Assyd was serving a life sentence for convictions in 1995 for murder and kidnapping.
Forty-four of the nearly 42,000 Arizona prisoners have tested positive for the virus.
Judge sides with tribes, limits distribution of virus relief
A judge has ruled in favor of tribal nations in their bid to keep Alaska Native corporations from getting a share of $8 billion in coronavirus relief funding — at least temporarily.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., issued the decision late Monday.
He says the U.S. Treasury Department can begin distributing money to 574 federally recognized tribes to respond to the coronavirus pandemic but not to the corporations.
In the meantime, he's considering the larger question of whether the corporations are eligible for any of the funding.
The decision comes in lawsuits that at least 15 tribes brought against the Treasury Department.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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.
