Note: An earlier version of this story said Pima County hospitals were at capacity based on what county officials told residents. County officials now say this was a miscommunication on their part.
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, Dec. 9.
Major updates:
- There have been 382,601 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 7,081 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.
- You can find COVID-19 testing sites here.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.
- Arizona hospitals face another COVID-19 wave
- Arizona medical expert answers your COVID-19 questions
- Navajo Nation reports 159 new COVID-19 cases, 6 more deaths
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Wednesday
There have been 382,601 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 7,081 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state's latest numbers.
That's an increase from the 382,601 confirmed cases and 6,973 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Tuesday.
A week ago, there were 340,979 cases and 6,739 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 9 de diciembre: 4,444 contagios y 108 defunciones se reportan el miércoles
4,444 new cases, 108 new deaths reported Wednesday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 4,444 new cases and 108 new deaths on Wednesday.
The department said "a large percentage" of those deaths were due to death certificate matching.
Wednesday's numbers come one day after the department reported the highest number of single-day cases in Arizona. The department did not indicate that a delay in reporting was due to Tuesday's high case numbers.
Arizona’s cases, deaths and hospitalizations were already steadily rising before Thanksgiving, when gatherings and travel were expected to further spread the coronavirus.
The department reports the number of new cases on the day the cases were reported to them by counties and hospitals, not on the day when someone was diagnosed with the virus.
Arizona reached 300,000 coronavirus cases on Nov. 23, 200,000 on Aug. 27, 100,000 on July 6 and 50,000 cases on June 21. The state reached 7,000 coronavirus deaths on Dec. 9, 6,000 on Nov. 3, 5,000 on Aug. 29, 4,000 on Aug. 6, 3,000 deaths on July 23, 2,000 on July 9 and 1,000 on June 5.
Arizona's Rt, pronounced r-naught, was at 1.09 on Monday, down from 1.17 as of Sunday.
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.
RELATED: This is the number that health officials are watching closely in the fight against COVID-19 (And you should too)
There were 7,693 cases reported on the collection date of Nov. 30, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. The day with the second-most collected diagnoses so far was on Dec. 1, with 7,368 cases. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of reported deaths was July 17, when 103 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.
Arizona hospitals face another COVID-19 wave
Hospitalizations across Arizona for COVID-19 increased during the week of Nov. 6 and have not slowed down since.
Team 12's Matt Yurus has the latest.
RELATED: Arizona sets record for daily COVID-19 cases as White House recommends stronger mitigation measures
Pima County releases public health advisory to encourage voluntary mitigation strategies
Note: An earlier version of this story said Pima County hospitals were at capacity based on what county officials told residents. County officials now say this was a miscommunication on their part.
Pima County has released a public health advisory asking people to stay home and provided possible volunteer mitigation strategies.
The initial version of the message stated that hospitals were at capacity. Pima County officials said later that hospitals were not at capacity and this message was a miscommunication.
Tucson-area hospitals still have beds for COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 patients, according to a spokesperson.
The alert emphasized a volunteer curfew will be between the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and volunteer shelter-in-place suggestions have been made.
The county is again reminding people to wear masks and socially distance when they are outside of their homes and with people from outside their households.
For more information and strategies, check the county website.
Hospitals have activated their surge plan to convert areas of the hospital to accommodate COVID patients.
The AZDHS released a statement following a miscommunication about bed availability saying:
“The Arizona Department of Health Services established the Arizona Surge Line in April for this very reason. The Surge Line was designed to route patients from hospitals at or nearing capacity to hospitals with available capacity.
As a result, Pima County residents can be assured that those in need of emergency medical care will receive it. No one will be turned away. We’re in constant communication with hospitals in Pima County and throughout Arizona about their capacity and needs.
Hospital capacity is something that can change frequently due to a variety of factors, such as staff call-outs for a particular shift. It is something we monitor continuously. Hospitals have informed ADHS their biggest limiting factor on capacity is staffing.
For this reason, Governor Ducey has allocated a total of $85 million to boost staffing at Arizona hospitals. This money is intended to ensure that health care providers have the doctors, nurses and other critical medical staff they need to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in cases of COVID-19 underscores the need for all Arizonans to follow the steps recommended by ADHS: Wear a mask, wash your hands, physically distance, avoid large gatherings, and stay home if you are sick.”
Arizona set to receive 383,750 vaccine doses by the end of December
The state is set to receive 383,750 COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of the month with a first shipment set to arrive during the week of Dec. 13.
In the first week, the vaccine will be distributed to Maricopa and Pima Counties. Maricopa will get around 47,000 doses and Pima will get around 11,000 doses.
In the following week, vaccine doses will be distributed to all 15 counties, at least four tribes and to the CDC Pharmacy Partnership program.
The vaccine distribution plan prioritizes health care workers, residents of long-term care facility residents, educators and vulnerable populations.
Arizona medical expert answers your COVID-19 questions
Dr. Frank LoVecchio with Valleywise Health Medical Center is answering your questions about COVID-19.
You can see the rest of LoVecchio's answers right now at 12News.com/YouTube.
Navajo Nation reports 159 new COVID-19 cases, 6 more deaths
Navajo Nation health officials on Tuesday reported 159 new COVID-19 cases and six more deaths.
In all, the tribe has now reported 18,324 cases and 688 know deaths since the pandemic began.
Navajo Department of Health officials say over 175,000 people on the vast reservation that includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah have been tested for COVID-19 and more than 10,000 have recovered.
But officials have identified 77 Navajo Nation communities with uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus since late last month.
Tribal officials say nearly all intensive care unit beds on the reservation are being used as coronavirus cases surge.
The tribe has extended its stay-at-home order though Dec. 28 in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Arizona health department sets up hotline to report businesses
The Arizona Department of Health Services has set up two ways for people to report local businesses that are not following COVID-19 guidelines.
People can report businesses through a hotline or through an online form:
- Submit a complaint online at www.azhealth.gov/complianceCOVID19
- Calling the COVID-19 Compliance Hotline at 1-844-410-2157
“There’s a role for the public as well: If you believe a business isn’t following these requirements, which were established for the safety of customers, employees, and the broader public, ADHS encourages you to share your concerns so local and state officials can follow up as needed,” AZDHS said in a statement.
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), a student (or parents on behalf of students), school staff member or who may not be able to purchase one 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 382,601 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 7,081 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.
That's an increase from the 382,601 confirmed cases and 6,973 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Tuesday.
There were 4,444 new cases reported on Wednesday, a decrease from the record-breaking 12,314 new cases reported on Tuesday.
There were 108 new deaths reported on Wednesday, an increase from the 23 new deaths reported on Tuesday. A "large percentage" of those deaths were due to death certificate matching, the department said.
There were 7,693 cases reported on the collection date of Nov. 30, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. The day with the second-most collected diagnoses so far was on Dec. 1, with 7,368 cases. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of reported deaths was July 17, when 103 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 12,091 new tests were reported on Wednesday, a decrease from the 20,391 new tests reported on Tuesday.
There have been a total of 2,792,582 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Wednesday.
10.7% of those tests have been positive as of Wednesday, up from 10.6% on Tuesday.
Here's a breakdown of the number of cases in each county:
- Maricopa: 239,417
- Pima: 47,570
- Pinal: 19,649
- Coconino: 8,569
- Navajo: 9,159
- Apache: 6,039
- Mohave: 7,743
- La Paz: 1,031
- Yuma: 20,788
- Graham: 2,438
- Cochise: 4,747
- Santa Cruz: 4,605
- Yavapai: 7,120
- Gila: 3,422
- Greenlee: 304
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.
