PHOENIX — The number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Arizona continues to rise.
In an effort to track the changes, 12 News has started a daily live blog.
Here is the live blog for Friday, July 10.
Major updates:
- There have been 116,892 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 2,082 coronavirus-related deaths, as of Friday morning.
- 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 116,892 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 2,082 coronavirus-related deaths as of Friday, according to the state's latest numbers.
That is an increase from 112,671 cases and 2,038 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Thursday.
A week ago, there were 91,858 cases and 1,788 deaths reported in Arizona.
EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 10 de julio
Valley hospitals running out of room for bodies
Team 12's Brahm Resnik said Abrazo hospitals in the Valley have reached their morgue capacity, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.
Maricopa County is also seeking refrigerated trailers for bodies, they said.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego told 12 News that there are "serious capacity concerns with the morgue at Abrazo Health."
She said "we have capacity challenges right now," but she added that "we're not at full capacity, but we need to be worried and take this seriously. Too many Arizonans have lost their lives."
Gallego said Maricopa County is looking for refrigerated trucks to store bodies.
"It's clear our hospital system is being stretched," she said.
More than 4,200 new cases, 44 deaths reported Friday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported more than 4,200 new cases and 44 new deaths on Friday.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases topped 116,000, four days after reaching the 100,000 mark.
Friday marked the sixth straight day with more than 3,000 new cases reported in Arizona.
The number of coronavirus cases in Arizona continue to rise. Cases topped 116,000 one day after reaching the 112,000 mark and four days after reaching 100,000.
Arizona reached 50,000 coronavirus cases over two weeks ago, on June 21. The state reached 1,000 coronavirus deaths about a month ago, on June 5.
There were 5,272 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 June 25, when 42 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.
New executive order aimed at restaurants
Gov. Doug Ducey announced on Thursday a new executive order that limits the number of people who can dine indoors at restaurants.
The order was announced in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. It will go into effect at 10 p.m. Saturday.
It will need to be enforced by county health inspectors or law enforcement.
Ducey said Thursday he developed the plan in conjunction with industry representatives, but he stopped short of entirely banning dine-in services like he did in the spring.
The Republican governor says the state will increase testing with a focus on low-income areas of Phoenix as many people report it’s hard or impossible to find tests.
Arizona continues to report record highs for hospitalizations and use of ventilators, but Ducey sees signs of potential progress in a slightly lower rate of growth in reported infections.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
WHO: Indoor airborne spread of coronavirus is possible
The World Health Organization is acknowledging the possibility that COVID-19 might be spread in the air under certain conditions — after more than 200 scientists urged the agency to do so.
In an open letter published this week in a journal, two scientists from Australia and the U.S. wrote that studies have shown “beyond any reasonable doubt that viruses are released during exhalation, talking and coughing in microdroplets small enough to remain aloft in the air.”
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Starbucks to require customers to wear face masks
Starbucks will require customers to wear face coverings at all of its 9,000 company-owned locations in the U.S.
The company explained in a blog post Thursday that it is working to prioritize "the health and well-being" of both employees and customers.
The company said customers not wearing a face mask will be able to pick-up orders at the drive-thru, via curbside pick-up or by placing an order for delivery through Starbucks Delivers.
The above article is from Tegna.
Navajo Nation reports 61 more COVID-19 cases, 4 more deaths
Navajo Nation health officials have reported 61 more coronavirus cases and four additional known deaths.
Tribal Department of Health officials say 8,042 people on the vast reservation that spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah have tested positive for COVID-19 with 386 known deaths as of Thursday night.
Health officials also say reports from all 12 health care facilities on and near the Navajo Nation indicate 62,185 people have been tested and 5,731 have recovered from COVID-19.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
CDC expands list of groups at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its list of individuals who are considered at an increased risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19.
The CDC explained that it's clear a substantial number of Americans are at increased risk of severe illness from the coronavirus pandemic – highlighting the importance of continuing to follow preventive measures.
Experts determined there was consistent evidence these conditions increase a person's risk, regardless of age:
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Obesity (BMI of 30 or higher)
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
- Serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Sickle cell disease
- Type 2 diabetes
Masks now required in public
Gov. Doug Ducey allowed individual Arizona cities to create their own policies about face-covering requirements and enforcement on Wednesday.
A face covering has proven to be effective at limiting the spread of COVID-19, according to the CDC. The virus is primarily spread by in-person contact through sneezes and coughs.
Many cities, including Phoenix, have adopted their own mask requirement that is now in effect.
How to get tested for COVID-19
If you have reason to believe you have contracted coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, this is what you should do.
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 116,892 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 2,082 coronavirus-related deaths as of Friday.
That is an increase from 112,671 cases and 2,038 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Thursday.
That's an increase of 4,221 new cases reported on Friday, an increase from the 4,057 new cases reported on Thursday.
There was 44 new deaths reported on Friday, a decrease from the 75 deaths reported on Thursday.
There were 5,272 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 June 25, when 42 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 19,013 new tests were reported on Friday, an increase from the 14,193 new tests reported on Thursday.
There have been a total of 860,295 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Friday.
11.7% of those tests have been positive, an increase from 11.5% on Thursday.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 76,328
- Pima: 11,172
- Pinal: 5,332
- Coconino: 2,379
- Navajo: 4,255
- Apache: 2,534
- Mohave: 1,696
- La Paz: 394
- Yuma: 7,994
- Graham: 184
- Cochise: 980
- Santa Cruz: 2,133
- Yavapai: 1,058
- Gila: 424
- Greenlee: 29
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.
