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 17.
Major updates:
- There have been 138,523 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 2,583 deaths reported in Arizona 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.
- Testing blitz in South Phoenix and Maryvale starts Friday.
- DHS is giving out free masks to vulnerable Arizonans. Scroll down for the link.
- Fry's announces mask mandate to start July 22.
- 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 138,523 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 2,583 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the state's latest numbers.
That is an increase from 134,613 cases and 2,492 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Thursday.
A week ago, there were 116,892 cases and 2,082 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 17 de julio: Más de 3,900 casos nuevos, 91 muertes más se reportaron el viernes
More than 3,900 new cases, 91 deaths reported Friday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported more than 3,900 new cases and 91 new deaths on Friday.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases topped 138,000, 11 days after reaching the 100,000 mark.
Arizona reached 50,000 coronavirus cases on June 21. The state reached 1,000 coronavirus deaths on June 5.
Arizona's Rt, pronounced r-naught, was at .99 on Friday, up from .98 on Thursday.
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 5,401 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 30, when 57 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.
Department of Economic Security announces 13-week Extended Benefits period
Arizona DES Friday announced the new 13-week Extended Benefits (EB) period for those who have exhausted their regular unemployment insurance benefits.
DES is also doing a =n additional 13-week extension provided by Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC).
Upon exhaustion of regular unemployment insurance and PEUC benefits, DES will issue notification to individuals who may be eligible to apply for the new EB program. This notice will include filing instructions for EB. The weekly benefit amount (WBA) under the EB program is the same as the individual received for regular unemployment compensation.
Visit www.azui.com to learn more about EB and for additional updates and information about unemployment assistance programs in Arizona.
Free masks available for some Arizonans
The Arizona Department of Health Services announced Thursday 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.
Coronavirus testing surge in Phoenix neighborhoods kicks off
Health officials plan to boost Arizona’s coronavirus testing with free screenings in two low-income Phoenix neighborhoods.
State officials said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will test up to 5,000 people per day beginning Friday in South Phoenix and Maryvale. Testing will begin at 6 a.m.
Both are areas where people have reported hours-long waits in the scorching heat for tests.
The surge testing is scheduled to last 12 days.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Gov. Ducey extends eviction moratorium
A new executive order announced by Gov. Doug Ducey extends protection to renters affected by the pandemic through October by extending the eviction moratorium.
The executive order also adds $5 million to establish the Foreclosure Prevention Program, which will provide relief to homeowners who rely on income from tenants.
Fry's to require masks in stores
Fry's is the latest company to announce that it will require that customers wear masks while in their stores.
Kroger, the parent company of Fry's, announced Friday that the requirement will go into place on July 22.
Small children are exempt. People with medical conditions are encouraged to wear a face shield or facial covering.
You can find more information here.
Maricopa County renting coolers for bodies
Maricopa County is more than doubling the medical examiner office’s cooler capacity because the system for storing bodies is being strained by a surge in COVID-19 deaths, county officials told reporters Thursday.
This is the first time in at least a decade - including last year’s record-smashing year for heat deaths - that the medical examiner's office has had to obtain refrigeration space.
Health care company offering free COVID-19 tests at Metrocenter
Family Tree Healthcare is holding a COVID-19 testing event from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
It is a free drive-thru event. You will not need to leave your vehicle. If you have insurance, please bring the information with you to the event.
The event is happening in the parking lot of Metrocenter Mall, across from the Red Lobster.
You are required to wear a face covering. An appointment is required. Sign up here.
Arizona COVID-19 patients being sent to New Mexico
People who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arizona are being transferred to New Mexico hospitals because of staffing shortages and a lack of bed space, under a federal law that requires hospitals to accept patients from neighboring states if beds are available.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the transfer of out-of-state patients poses challenges as some hospitals in the state are at or nearing capacity levels.
It is unclear exactly how many Arizona patients have been transferred to New Mexico.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Masks required in public
Gov. Doug Ducey allowed individual Arizona cities to create their own policies about face-covering requirements and enforcement.
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.
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 138,523 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 2,583 coronavirus-related deaths.
That is an increase from 134,613 cases and 2,492 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Thursday.
That's an increase of 3,910 new cases reported on Friday, an increase from the 3,259 new cases reported on Thursday.
There were 91 new deaths reported on Friday, an increase from the 58 deaths reported on Thursday.
There were 5,401 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 30, when 57 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 18,028 new tests were reported on Friday, an increase from the 15,532 new tests reported on Thursday.
There have been a total of 969,837 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Friday.
12.2% of those tests have been positive, an increase from the 12.1% on Thursday.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 91,863
- Pima: 13,058
- Pinal: 6,420
- Coconino: 2,619
- Navajo: 4,669
- Apache: 2,691
- Mohave: 2,195
- La Paz: 428
- Yuma: 9,035
- Graham: 240
- Cochise: 1,186
- Santa Cruz: 2,270
- Yavapai: 1,299
- Gila: 512
- Greenlee: 38
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.
