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 Thursday, July 2.
Major updates:
- There have been 87,425 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 1,757 coronavirus-related deaths, as of Thursday morning.
- The state does not record how many people have recovered, but Johns Hopkins University estimates 9,715 people are recovered.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Thursday
There have been 87,425 people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 1,757 coronavirus-related deaths as of Thursday, according to the state's latest numbers.
That is an increase from 84,092 cases and 1,720 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Wednesday.
A week ago, there were 63,030 cases and 1,490 deaths reported in Arizona.
EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 2 de julio: Se reportan más de 3,300 nuevos casos y 37 decesos más el jueves
Demand for Compliance letters
Arizona Department of Health Services gave three gyms Demand for Compliance letters after defying Gov. Doug Ducey’s orders to close to help limit the spread of coronavirus.
The letters were sent to a Mountainside Fitness located at Scottsdale Shea, and two LifeTime Fitness centers in Tempe and Camelback.
AZDHS says if the gyms don’t comply with the governor’s orders by noon Friday, they will face civil action with a temporary restraining order.
You can read the letter sent to Mountainside Fitness and LifeTime Fitness by following the links.
ADCRR gives inmate-made face coverings to inmates after 457 test positive
The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (ADCRR) will distribute fabric face coverings to its incarcerated population in an effort to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
The masks were reportedly made by inmates at the department's Douglas and Florence complexes through the Arizona Correctional Industries garment program.
As of Thursday, ADCRR has confirmed that 457 incarcerated people have tested positive for the coronavirus. The department has tested 3819 of its inmates so far, and has stated that 217 inmates have recovered from the virus.
Xponential Fitness sues Arizona over closure of gyms
The CEO of Xponential Fitness, Anthony Geisler, is suing the state of Arizona after Governor Doug Ducey issued an executive order which said that bars, gyms, and movie theaters, along with tubing and water parks, must close until July 27.
Geisler said that he has 50 studios across Arizona and employs over 750 people, which will all be affected by the order. Along with the lawsuit, Geisler has also sent his reopening plans to the governor's office, as well as starting petitions advocating for reopening and staying open.
Varsity Tavern allegedly had employees who tested positive for COVID-19 keep working
Varsity Tavern in Tempe is facing possible suspension of its liquor license after the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control says it confirmed multiple violations by the bar through an investigation.
The Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control has issued a notice of violation to the bar and an opportunity to comply.
ICE expands testing at family centers
After testing all residents at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement family residential centers, ICE is expanding voluntary COVID-19 testing.
General population residents and new admissions to the three family residential centers will also be tested.
“We take the responsibility to care for the families in our custody very seriously and we are working with all of our partners to determine how to reduce the spread of COVID-19, not only at our FRCs, but at all locations housing ICE detainees,” Henry Lucero, executive associate director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations said in an emailed statement.
The family residential centers are in Leesport, Pennsylvania; Dilley, Texas; and Karnes County, Texas.
Red Cross offering antibody testing with blood donations
The American Red Cross is testing all blood, platelet, and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies for a limited time.
It is being offered as an added incentive for people to make much-needed donations.
The test can show if the donor's immune system has responded to the virus. It should not be used as a diagnostic tool. No one should donate blood if they are feeling unwell.
The Red Cross asks anyone who believes they had COVID-19 wait until they are symptom-free for 28 days before donating blood.
People can sign up for appointments here.
3,333 new cases, 37 new deaths reported Thursday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 3,333 new cases and 37 new deaths on Thursday. In the last two weeks, there have been 10 days when health officials in Arizona reported 3,000-plus new coronavirus cases.
That does not mean that all those cases were diagnosed on Wednesday and all those people died on Wednesday.
There were 4,207 cases reported on the collection date of June 24, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. That is subject to change.
Health officials say the day with the highest number of reported deaths was June 15, when 33 people died. That is subject to change.
Thursday's numbers were lower than the new cases and deaths reported Wednesday. There were a record-high 4,878 new cases and a record-high 88 new deaths reported Wednesday.
You can find more information here.
Lake Havasu City issues mask requirement
Lake Havasu City has issued a mask requirement for people in public ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.
Lake Havasu City Mayor Cal Sheehy issued a proclamation requiring residents and visitors to wear a face-covering over their nose and mouth while at businesses.
The requirement was ordered "due to the influx of visitors this holiday weekend and concern from our residents."
City officials asked that residents do not call 911 to report non-compliance. The proclamation goes into effect on July 3 and lasts until at least July 27.
Everyone in Lake Havasu City over the age of six must cover their nose and mouth whenever they enter places of business that serve the public.
Mesa Community College to host COVID-19 drive-thru testing
Mesa Community College will serve as a location for drive-thru COVID-19 testing.
Embry Women’s Health, a local testing provider, along with the Arizona National Guard, will operate testing stations in the East Parking Lot (Lot C) of the college campus located at 1833 W. Southern Ave.
Individuals arriving for appointments should enter at Enrollment Way off Southern Ave.
It will accommodate 800 patients daily, with an expected daily test capacity of 3,000 once fully operational.
Patients can schedule a time here, or here. They must register in advance. There is no cost but patients with insurance will need to provide their member ID, group number and a physical copy of their insurance card.
Some casinos to reopen after closing following security guard's death
Gila River Hotels & Casinos -- Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva -- will re-open this week after it shut down again temporarily following the death of a security guard.
The casinos shut down for two weeks to implement "enhanced safety procedures and health protocols." They had just reopened in May.
The closure came after Robert Edward Washington Jr. died from a coronavirus-related illness.
He died four weeks after returning to work as a security guard at the Gila River tribe’s Lone Butte casino, near Chandler.
Maricopa County again halts all new jury selection
Presiding Judge Joseph C. Welty has once again halted all new jury selection for the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County.
The move came in response to the increased spread of coronavirus in our community.
The suspension applies to all courts located in Maricopa County now through close of business on July 31.
Grand Jury operations have also been suspended effective July 6th through the end of the month.
Prospective jurors can call 602-506- 5879 Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM until 5 PM or visit https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/jury/ to chat online with jury staff.
Arizona's case rate not slowing down
The increase in cases has researchers very worried.
Arizona State University's Dr. Joshua LaBaer, director of the ASU Biodesign Institute, compares the climbing numbers to the constant velocity of a car.
LaBaer said while the numbers are holding steady, they are doing so at the rate of several thousand a day compared to several hundred a day earlier this spring.
LaBaer also says Arizona's hospital system is under great stress.
"What we are hearing from the various hospitals is that they are filling up - that the staff in the hospitals is very concerned for the safety of the patients and also for their own safety. They are working long hours. Taking care of COVID-19 patients is a challenging task."
Navajo Nation cases increase by 64, five more deaths
The Navajo Department of Health reported 64 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and five more deaths on Wednesday.
The total number of COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation is 7,613.
The total number of deaths is 369 as of Wednesday.
Reports from all 12 health care facilities on and near the Navajo Nation indicate that approximately 5,455 individuals have recovered from COVID-19.
56,599 people have been tested for COVID-19.
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 the coronavirus in Arizona
Are you looking to get tested for coronavirus in Arizona?
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 Thursday
There have been 87,425 people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 1,757 coronavirus-related deaths as of Thursday.
That is an increase from 84,092 cases and 1,720 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Wednesday.
That's an increase of 3,333 new cases reported on Thursday, a decrease from the record-high 4,878 new cases reported on Wednesday.
There were 37 new deaths reported on Thursday, a decrease from the record-high 88 deaths reported on Wednesday.
In total, 13,511 new tests were reported on Thursday, a decrease from the 20,151 new tests reported on Wednesday.
There have been a total of 735,496 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Thursday.
10.3% of those tests have been positive, an increase from the 10.2% on Wednesday.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 54,757
- Pima: 8,577
- Pinal: 3,908
- Coconino: 1,986
- Navajo: 3,744
- Apache: 2,405
- Mohave: 1,248
- La Paz: 346
- Yuma: 6,663
- Graham: 117
- Cochise: 678
- Santa Cruz: 1,849
- Yavapai: 814
- Gila: 314
- Greenlee: 19
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.
