The number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Arizona continue to rise.
In an effort to track the changes, 12 News has started a daily live blog.
Here is the live blog for Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Major updates:
- There have been 182,203 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 3,932 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.
- Gov. Ducey met with President Trump today to discuss the impact of the pandemic across Arizona
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Wednesday
There have been 182,203 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 3,932 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the state's latest numbers.
That is an increase from 180,505 cases and 3,845 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Tuesday.
A week ago, there were 168,273 cases and 3,454 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 5 de agosto
More than 1,600 new cases, 87 new deaths reported Wednesday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported more than 1,600 new cases and 87 new deaths on Wednesday.
The department later said that 49 of those deaths were from the death certificate matching process.
It was the fourth straight day with more than 1,000 newly reported cases.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases topped 182,000 on Wednesday. The state's total death toll topped 3,900 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 0.89 on Wednesday, the same as 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.
There were 5,452 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 84 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.
Ducey meets with President Trump
Gov. Doug Ducey held a meeting with President Donald Trump Wednesday to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona.
Ducey told the president the state has made strides in controlling the outbreak. Even still, he noted "No victory lap, we're going to stay the course and stay vigilant and keep our guard up, but we have a path forward.
Big Arizona voter turnout brings slow results, few surprises
Arizona voters turned out in near-record numbers and set the stage for high-stakes battles this November.
Dr. Hiral Tipirneni won a four-way Democratic primary to take on scandal-scarred Republican Rep. David Schweikert.
Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's comeback hopes remained alive.
Republican Sen. Martha McSally and Democrat Mark Kelly both easily secured the nominations of their parties and quickly pivoted to the November showdown.
Still, McSally’s little-known opponent, businessman Daniel McCarthy, pulled in about 20 percent of the vote. Kelly faced only a write-in opponent.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
MORE: 12News.com/Elections.
Ducey to meet with Trump on Wednesday
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is traveling to Washington D.C. to meet with President Donald Trump, Trump administration officials and public health experts.
Ducey is scheduled to meet with Trump and members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force on Wednesday in the Oval Office.
On Thursday, Ducey will participate in a plenary session of the Council of Governors and meet with other health officials on the pandemic.
Judge: Arizona gym closure violated rights of health clubs
A judge has ruled Gov. Doug Ducey’s closure of gyms across Arizona in response to the pandemic violates the due process rights of health clubs.
Judge Timothy Thomason set an Aug. 11 deadline for the governor to set up a system for giving fitness businesses a chance to apply to reopen.
Thomason ruled health clubs were denied due process because they couldn’t apply to reopen until Ducey ended the shutdown.
Tom Hatten, chief executive of a health club chain that challenged the order, said he plans to reopen his clubs on Aug. 11.
Ducey spokesman Patrick Ptak said the governor’s office is reviewing the decision.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
517 inmates at Tucson prison test positive for coronavirus
The Arizona Department of Corrections announced Tuesday 517 inmates in the Whetstone unit of the state prison in Tucson have tested positive for COVID-19.
The Whetstone Unit currently houses 1,066 inmates total.
Inmates who tested positive are being housed as a cohort together in separate areas and are receiving appropriate medical care, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections.
The inmates who tested positive will not be allowed back into the prison's general population until they've been medically cleared.
Navajo Nation cases grow by 17, 1 more death
The Navajo Department of Health reported 17 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and one more death.
The total number of COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation is 9,156.
The total number of deaths has reached 463 as of Tuesday.
Reports indicate that 6,747 individuals have recovered from COVID-19.
82,708 people have been tested for COVID-19.
Jury trials have resumed at Maricopa County Superior Court
Maricopa County Superior Court officials say jury trials have resumed after weeks of being put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The trials were initially suspended in March and the stoppage lasted until June 15.
At that point, trials were allowed again on a limited basis with increased health protocols.
But when COVID-19 cases in Arizona spiked in early July, all new jury trials were suspended July 9.
That order expired July 31 and jury trials were allowed to recommence Monday.
Phoenix radio station KTAR-FM reports Maricopa County Superior Court will continue with health protocols, such as temperature checks and mask mandates in the courtroom.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
University of Advancing Technology releases plans for fall semester
The University of Advancing Technology in Tempe is making preparations for safely reopening the campus for the fall semester.
The university is following recommended guidelines by implementing new protocols. The smaller class offerings will allow for necessary changes if needed throughout the semester.
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 182,203 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 3,932 coronavirus-related deaths.
That is an increase from 180,505 cases and 3,845 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Tuesday.
There were 1,698 new cases reported on Wednesday, an increase from the 1,008 new cases reported on Tuesday.
There were 87 new deaths reported on Wednesday, an increase from the 66 new deaths reported on Tuesday.
There were 5,452 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 15, when 84 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 14,554 new tests were reported on Wednesday, an increase from the 7,128 new tests reported on Tuesday.
There have been a total of 1,218,017 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Wednesday.
12.6% of those tests have been positive as of Wednesday, the same as Tuesday.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 123,082
- Pima: 16,964
- Pinal: 8,297
- Coconino: 3,033
- Navajo: 5,309
- Apache: 3,119
- Mohave: 3,073
- La Paz: 476
- Yuma: 11,314
- Graham: 511
- Cochise: 1,560
- Santa Cruz: 2,633
- Yavapai: 1,904
- Gila: 871
- 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.
