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 Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Major updates:
- There have been 195,557 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 4,634 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Wednesday.
- The state does not record how many people have recovered, but Johns Hopkins University estimates the number of people who have recovered.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Wednesday
There have been 195,557 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 4,634 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state's latest numbers.
That is an increase from 194,920 cases and 4,529 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Tuesday.
A week ago, there were 189,443 cases and 4,347 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 19 de agosto: 637 casos nuevos y 105 decesos se reportan el miércoles
637 new cases, 105 new deaths reported Wednesday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 637 new cases and 105 new deaths on Wednesday.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases topped 195,000 on Wednesday. The state's total death toll also topped 4,600 on Wednesday.
Arizona reached 100,000 coronavirus cases on July 6 and 50,000 cases on June 21. The state reached 3,000 coronavirus deaths on July 23, 2,000 deaths on July 9 and 1,000 on June 5.
Arizona's Rt, pronounced r-naught, was at 0.84 as of Wednesday.
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.
There were 5,483 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 95 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.
ASU expert: 'We want to be way below this"
Dr. Joshua LaBaer, the executive director of the ASU Biodesign Institute, said Arizona is heading in the right direction when it comes to COVID-19 numbers, but we have a long way to go before declaring victory.
LaBaer said the state's numbers are down to levels we have not seen since May, and one month ago, Arizona had more than 2,000 cases per day by comparison.
He said testing is down but so is the overall postiity rate. He attributes the lack of testing to some folks not being as concerned as they were.
But LaBaer said Arizona is still in a high range with hundreds of cases a day. He said “We want to be way below this.”
He says like in May, if people stop following guidelines we will see another spike. He added that the virus is not going away any time soon.
Maricopa County officials discuss the rental assistance program and local public health COVID-19 data
38 Arizona businesses allowed to reopen during coronavirus pandemic
As of Tuesday at 5 p.m., Arizona Department of Health Services says 38 businesses have been approved, six have been denied, and 600-plus applications remain.
Fight to reopen Arizona bars during COVID-19 pandemic continues
A group of bar owners, managers and employees is coming together Wednesday to address the executive order that forced the closure of bars in Arizona.
Arizona State University preparing to start fall semester
Students are back on campus at Arizona State University and the university is planning to put students in the classroom.
Arizona launches free Wi-Fi map
Connect Arizona, a collaborative effort to locate and publicize free public Wi-Fi, aims to connect people with free Wi-Fi in their area.
It is a map that identifies the locations with free public Wi-Fi hotspots at public libraries, schools, businesses and other areas.
Some sites may offer indoor public access during business hours but others provide access in the parking lot only.
Everyone using the sites is encouraged to practice social distancing, including staying in your vehicle or at least six feet from other users and wearing a mask if necessary.
You can find more information here.
University of Arizona launches COVID-19 notification app
University of Arizona students, faculty and staff can now download the Covid Watch app.
It allows users who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 to anonymously notify others who may have been exposed.
The university said the app is fully anonymous.
The goal is for the app to be used across Arizona.
You can download it now in the App Store and Google Play.
Woman whose dad died of COVID-19 in Arizona speaks at first night of DNC
Kristin Urquiza said her father contracted COVID-19 and died because he believed politicians who said coronavirus would just go away.
Navajo Nation cases up by 17, four more deaths reported
The Navajo Department of Health reported 17 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and four more deaths.
The total number of COVID-19 positive cases is 9,486.
The total number of deaths now totals 484 as of Tuesday.
Reports indicate that 6,987 individuals have recovered from COVID-19.
89,399 COVID-19 tests have been administered.
Free COVID-19 drive-thru testing event to be held Saturday
The Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission announced that it would hold a free antibody and COVID-19 drive-thru testing event.
The event would be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 15100 N. 78th Way in Scottsdale.
Reservations are required. It is free for individuals with or without insurance, but if you do not have insurance, the CARES Act requires a social security number.
Testing for COVID-19 takes approximately one minute per person and is administered as a nasal swab. Results are normally received within two to five days.
The antibody test takes approximately 10 minutes per person and is administered as a finger prick. Results are immediate.
Phoenix launches mobile COVID-19 testing van
The city of Phoenix launched a mobile COVID-19 testing van in an effort to bring free testing to underserved communities.
The van will offer viral and antibody tests, which will be administered by Vincere Cancer Care’s medical staff.
The van will be available from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. five days a week, except Wednesdays and Sundays.
Testing will be available to everyone but appointments are required. If available, insurance information will be requested, but is not required to get tested.
You can schedule an appointment here.
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) 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 Wednesday
There have been 195,557 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 4,634 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.
That is an increase from 194,920 cases and 4,529 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Tuesday.
There were 637 new cases reported on Wednesday, a decrease from the 915 new cases reported on Tuesday.
There were 105 new deaths reported on Wednesday, an increase from the 23 new deaths reported on Tuesday.
There were 5,483 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 95 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 8,029 new tests were reported on Wednesday, an increase from the 6,000 new tests reported on Tuesday.
There have been a total of 1,363,786 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Wednesday.
12% of those tests have been positive as of Wednesday, the same as Tuesday.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 130,384
- Pima: 20,047
- Pinal: 8,989
- Coconino: 3,200
- Navajo: 5,470
- Apache: 3,269
- Mohave: 3,411
- La Paz: 492
- Yuma: 11,927
- Graham: 621
- Cochise: 1,769
- Santa Cruz: 2,709
- Yavapai: 2,191
- Gila: 1,021
- Greenlee: 57
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.
