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 Monday, Jan. 4.
Major updates:
- There have been 561,542 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 9,064 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Monday.
- 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.
- Go to 12News.com/Vaccine to find more information on the COVID-19 vaccines.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Monday
There have been 561,542 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 9,064 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state's latest numbers.
That's an increase from the 556,384 confirmed cases and 9,061 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Sunday.
A week ago, there were 504,423 cases and 8,469 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 4 de enero: 5,158 contagios y 3 muertes se reportaron el lunes
Arizona reporting highest infection rate per capita in country, CDC says
According to CDC, Arizona has the highest number of cases per capita in the U.S.
See the full list here: CDC COVID Data Tracker
Arizona has been reporting121.8 cases of the virus per 100,000 people. By comparison, California - another hot spot - is reporting 97.1 cases per 100,000 residents
5,158 new cases, 3 new deaths reported Monday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 5,158 new cases and three new deaths on Monday.
Data reported by the department on Mondays is typically lower compared to the rest of the days of the week.
It also comes one day after the department reported a record-high 17,234 cases following the holidays.
Officials say 54% of in-patient hospitalizations across the state are COVID-19 related.
Those in intensive care units because of the virus is also at a record high for Arizona.
According to state health officials, only 7% of ICU beds remain available.
The department said 90,880 people in Arizona have received the COVID-19 vaccine through Sunday.
Maricopa County health officials said they have given out 52,746 COVID-19 vaccines as of Sunday.
Arizona’s cases, deaths and hospitalizations have been 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 500,000 coronavirus cases on Dec. 28, 400,000 on Dec. 12, 300,000 on Nov. 23, 200,000 on Aug. 27, 100,000 on July 6 and 50,000 cases on June 21.
The state reached 9,000 coronavirus deaths on Jan. 1, 8,000 on Dec. 22, 7,000 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 0.93 as of Friday.
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 10,709 cases reported on the collection date of Dec. 28, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. The day with the second-most collected diagnoses so far was on Dec. 29, with 10,289 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.
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Ducey rejects request for 2-week school 'quarantine'
Arizona’s Gov. Doug Ducey has rejected the state’s top education official’s call for Ducey to order public schools to use only online instruction for the next two weeks unless they have waivers from health officials.
Amid a coronavirus surge in the state, Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman said Saturday that schools need a two-week “quarantine period" while educators and local officials review health data and decide what type of instruction is appropriate for their communities.
A spokesman for the governor said Ducey wouldn’t issue the order because how schools open is a local decision.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Maricopa County clerk tests positive for COVID-19
Jeff Fine, the elected clerk of the Superior Court in Maricopa County, has been hospitalized after contracting COVID-19, his office announced Monday.
Fine contracted COVID-19 on Christmas Day and immediately began recovering at home. His office said that on New Year's Day, Fine's condition "declined sharply, necessitating increased medical attention."
Fine was admitted to Banner Boswell Sun City Hospital on the same day for treatment of COVID-19 and pneumonia.
The office said Fine's "care and progress is positive, and his family reports that he hopes to be back with loved ones as soon as possible."
Fast rollout of virus vaccine trials reveals tribal distrust
Few Native American tribes have signed up to participate in clinical trials as coronavirus vaccines are developed.
The reasons range from suspicion and distrust tied to unethical practices of the past to the quick nature of the studies, which typically may need several layers of approval from tribes.
Researchers say that without participation from Native Americans, tribes won't know which vaccine might best be suited for their citizens.
About a handful of tribes have agreed to allow researchers to enroll their citizens in vaccine trials, including in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest.
They point to a need to slow the virus among a population that's been disproportionately affected.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Navajo Nation reports 146 new cases, 3 more deaths
The Navajo Nation has reported 146 additional known cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths.
The figures reported by tribal health officials late Sunday increased the tribe’s totals since the pandemic began to 23,728 cases and 819 deaths.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
The Navajo reservation has been under a 57-hour weekend lockdown that began Friday evening and ended Monday morning.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez says he will continue to emphasize the importance of staying home and wearing masks.
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 Monday
There have been 561,542 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 9,064 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.
That's an increase from the 556,384 confirmed cases and 9,061 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Sunday.
There were 5,158 new cases reported on Monday, a decrease from the record-high 17,234 new cases reported on Sunday.
There were three new deaths reported on Monday, an increase from the three new deaths reported on Sunday.
There were 10,709 cases reported on the collection date of Dec. 28, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. The day with the second-most collected diagnoses so far was on Dec. 29, with 10,289 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, 15,597 new tests were reported on Monday, a decrease from the 28,244 new tests reported on Sunday.
There have been a total of 3,330,793 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Monday.
12.6% of those tests have been positive as of Monday, the same as Sunday.
Here's a breakdown of the number of cases in each county:
- Maricopa: 346,183
- Pima: 74,963
- Pinal: 29,354
- Coconino: 11,753
- Navajo: 11,922
- Apache: 7,785
- Mohave: 13,858
- La Paz: 1,621
- Yuma: 29,109
- Graham: 3,472
- Cochise: 7,951
- Santa Cruz: 6,279
- Yavapai: 12,160
- Gila: 4,696
- Greenlee: 417
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.
