PHOENIX — 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 Friday, Aug. 7.
Major updates:
- There have been 185,053 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 4,081 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Friday.
- 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 Friday
There have been 185,053 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 4,081 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the state's latest numbers.
That is an increase from 183,647 cases and 4,002 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Thursday.
A week ago, there were 174,010 cases and 3,694 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 7 de agosto: Más de 1,400 nuevos casos, 79 nuevas muertes reportadas el viernes
4 US deaths tied to methanol-based hand sanitizers
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can help stop the coronavirus from spreading, but drinking the products turned out to be deadly for four people in two states.
Health officials reported this week that 15 adults were poisoned in Arizona and New Mexico in May and June after drinking hand sanitizer.
Besides the four who died, three had ongoing vision problems.
All had consumed hand sanitizers containing methanol, or wood alcohol. The active ingredient that kills germs in legitimate sanitizers is ethyl alcohol, which is consumable. But some companies have been replacing it with poisonous methanol, which is used in antifreeze.
The Associated Press filed the above report.
More than 1,400 new cases, 79 new deaths reported Friday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported more than 1,400 new cases and 79 new deaths on Friday.
It was the sixth straight day with more than 1,000 newly reported cases.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases topped 185,000 on Friday. The state's total death toll topped 4,000 on Thursday.
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 Thursday, down from 0.86 on Wednesday and the lowest in the nation.
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 5,479 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 days with the highest numbers of reported deaths was July 15 and 17, when 85 people died each day. 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 sets virus spread guidelines for school reopenings
Arizona officials have released a series of guidelines that public schools are urged to use when deciding whether it’s safe to reopen for full in-person learning.
But state health director Dr. Cara Christ said Thursday that it is going to be several weeks before any county meets those benchmarks.
The scientific guidelines released by Christ and schools chief Kathy Hoffman lay out three key measurements of the virus’ community effects.
They are just guidelines, and school districts won’t be required to follow them.
But Hoffman discouraged school districts from deviating and said voters should hold their school boards accountable if they ignore the guidance.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Final days for one of the drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites in the Valley
It's the final couple of days of one of the largest drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites in the Valley.
Team 12's Trisha Hendricks has the latest from Cesar Chavez Park in Laveen.
Gov. Doug Ducey appeals ruling over Arizona gyms reopening
Gov. Doug Ducey is appealing a ruling when a judge ordered the state to provide a way for gyms to apply to reopen their facilities.
Ducey filed a notice of appeal and a motion to delay enforcement of the judge's ruling, which came down earlier this week.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Timothy Thomason had ruled that "fitness centers must be provided a prompt opportunity to apply for reopening."
Gyms are currently set to be closed until at least Monday.
CVS launches free rapid COVID-19 testing in Glendale
CVS Health launched free rapid COVID-19 testing in Glendale on Friday.
The tests will be available at the CVS Pharmacy near 43rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road.
CVS pharmacists and pharmacy employees will do the testing.
You don't need to have a car, and the results will be provided on-the-spot. The clinic will be open to the public by appointment only.
Patients will need to pre-register in advance by calling 602-212-4981 to schedule an appointment.
To be eligible, patients will need to meet criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in addition to age guidelines.
The Glendale location is the company's second rapid COVID-19 community testing site in Arizona, including the St. Vincent de Paul clinic in Phoenix.
Navajo Nation cases grow by 28, one more death
The Navajo Department of Health reported 28 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 9,223.
The total number of deaths has reached 468 as of Thursday.
Reports indicate that 6,775 individuals have recovered from COVID-19.
83,769 people have been tested for COVID-19.
Visitors at Arizona prisons suspended through Sept. 13
The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry suspended visitors at all Arizona prison complexes through Sept. 13.
The department said it would continue to re-evaluate the suspension on a month-by-month basis.
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 Friday
There have been 185,053 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 4,081 coronavirus-related deaths.
That is an increase from 183,647 cases and 4,002 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Thursday.
There were 1,406 new cases reported on Friday, a slight decrease from the 1,444 new cases reported on Thursday.
There were 79 new deaths reported on Friday, a slight increase from the 70 new deaths reported on Thursday.
There were 5,479 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 days with the highest numbers of reported deaths was July 15 and 17, when 85 people died each day. That is subject to change.
In total, 10,275 new tests were reported on Friday, a decrease from the 11,696 new tests reported on Thursday.
There have been a total of 1,239,988 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Friday.
12.5% of those tests have been positive as of Friday, the same as Thursday.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 124,924
- Pima: 17,497
- Pinal: 8,327
- Coconino: 3,065
- Navajo: 5,352
- Apache: 3,151
- Mohave: 3,147
- La Paz: 478
- Yuma: 11,448
- Graham: 529
- Cochise: 1,573
- Santa Cruz: 2,651
- Yavapai: 1,966
- Gila: 887
- Greenlee: 58
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.
