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 Tuesday, Jan. 5.
Major updates:
- There have been 567,474 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 9,317 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Tuesday.
- 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 Tuesday
There have been 567,474 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 9,317 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state's latest numbers.
That's an increase from the 561,542 confirmed cases and 9,064 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Monday.
A week ago, there were 507,222 cases and 8,640 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 5 de enero: 5,916 nuevos casos, 253 muertes se reportan el martes
5,932 new cases, 253 new deaths reported Tuesday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 5,932 new cases and 253 new deaths on Tuesday.
It was the highest number of COVID-19 deaths reported on a single day in Arizona since the start of the pandemic. But the department said in a tweet that a majority of the deaths reported were from death certificate matching.
A record 4,789 COVID-19 patients also occupied hospital beds Monday.
The department said 101,030 Arizonans have received the COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday.
Maricopa County health officials said they have given out 55,444 COVID-19 vaccines as of Monday.
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 1.11 as of Monday.
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 10,803 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 10,366 cases. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of deaths was Dec. 17, when 105 people died. The day with the second-highest number of 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.
Chandler students to return to online learning for 2 weeks
Students in the Chandler Unified School District will return to virtual learning for at least two weeks. Team 12's Matt Yurus has the latest.
Pinal County making progress in COVID-19 vaccine rollout
Pinal County is making progress in its efforts to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to its residents. Team 12's Jen Wahl has the latest.
Arizona has highest COVID-19 rates in US, CDC says
The average daily case rate for COVID-19 in Arizona is more than 121 per 100,000 people, the highest in the entire country, according to the CDC.
Ducey to deliver 'state of the state' speech virtually
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey will deliver his annual “state of the state” address virtually.
Ducey’s office on Monday announced the unprecedented arrangement to limit the spread of COVID-19.
In lieu of his traditional speech to lawmakers and state dignitaries on the floor of the state House, Ducey will speak Monday from his office at the state Capitol.
Ducey has traditionally used his speech on the first day of the Legislative session to tout his successes and lay out his priorities for the coming year.
The House and Senate plan to begin the session on schedule Monday despite the pandemic.
Air filters, plexiglass dividers, mask requirements and other safety measures will be in place.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Virus fears halt Arizona county's annual homeless count
Agencies helping the homeless in Arizona’s largest county say the annual count of people living on the streets has been cancelled this year because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
The Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care includes shelters and other services for homeless people.
It says the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allowed it to opt out of the January 2021 count.
The Maricopa Association of Governments last week announced it cancelled the outdoors count and face to face interviews amid a surge in reported COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations.
Last year's effort counted 3,767 homeless people in Maricopa County.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Navajo Nation reports 110 new COVID-19 cases, 3 more deaths
Navajo Nation health officials on Monday reported 110 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths.
The latest figures increased the tribe’s totals since the pandemic began to 23,841 cases and 822 known 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.
Also on Monday, the Navajo Department of Health on Monday identified 73 communities with uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 on the tribe’s vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
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 Tuesday
There have been 567,474 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 9,317 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.
That's an increase from the 561,542 confirmed cases and 9,064 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Monday.
There were 5,932 new cases reported on Tuesday, an increase from the 5,158 new cases reported on Monday.
There were 253 new deaths reported on Tuesday, a record-high number and an increase from the three new deaths reported on Monday.
There were 10,803 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 10,366 cases. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of deaths was Dec. 17, when 105 people died. The day with the second-highest number of deaths was July 17, when 103 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 16,338 new tests were reported on Tuesday, an increase from the 15,597 new tests reported on Monday.
There have been a total of 3,347,128 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Tuesday.
12.7% of those tests have been positive as of Tuesday, up from 12.6% on Monday.
Here's a breakdown of the number of cases in each county:
- Maricopa: 349,852
- Pima: 75,584
- Pinal: 30,272
- Coconino: 11,892
- Navajo: 11,991
- Apache: 7,801
- Mohave: 13,938
- La Paz: 1,635
- Yuma: 29,165
- Graham: 3,496
- Cochise: 8,038
- Santa Cruz: 6,315
- Yavapai: 12,322
- Gila: 4,716
- Greenlee: 422
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.
