The number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Arizona continue to rise.
In an effort to track the changes, 12 News has started a daily live blog.
Here is the live blog for Thursday, June 11.
Major updates:
- There are 31,264 people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 1,127 coronavirus-related deaths, as of Thursday morning.
- The state does not record how many people have recovered.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.
Arizona hospitals say they have bed capacity, plans to care for increase in COVID-19 patients
Leaders of several Arizona hospital groups issued a joint statement Thursday, saying they were prepared to handle the increase in cases.
Arizona has seen a rapid and steep increase in cases since Memorial Day. Leaders from Abrazo Community Health Network, Banner Health, Cardondelet Health Network, Dignity Healh, Honor Health and Northern Arizona Healthcare issued a statement via email.
“Recently there have been local and national media reports regarding the increase in confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Arizona and how our state is managing the COVID-19 crisis. As representatives of the largest health systems representing 80% of care provided in this state, we would like to assure the public that we have available bed capacity and surge plans are in place to continue to serve the people of Arizona. We are well prepared to manage an increase in patient volume.
“In addition, the utilization of the surge line remains an effective tool in ensuring that patients are evenly distributed among hospitals in order to avoid capacity issues at any one facility. Our surge plans will also create additional capacity for patients if needed. Arizona’s network of medical care is strong, stable and prepared.
“We are continuing to work with Governor Ducey and state, local experts and other health care organizations to make sure our health systems continue to effectively care and meet the needs of our communities.
“This is an important opportunity for all Arizonans to remember to take the proper precautions to stay healthy and remain vigilant as we respond to this pandemic. By following the CDC guidelines we can reduce the spread of COVID-19 within our community:
If you are ill, stay home except to receive medical care
Wear a mask when you’re in public near others
Stay six feet away from others
Wash your hands frequently
Wipe down surfaces that may be infected
Avoid gatherings of 10 or more people
“We have taken every precaution to ensure the well-being of our patients and staff in our medical facilities. If you require medical attention, please do not delay seeking care for any medical conditions.”
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Thursday
There are 31,264 people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 1,127 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the state's latest numbers.
That's up from 29,852 confirmed cases and 1,095 deaths on Wednesday.
One week ago, there were 22,753 cases across the state with 996 deaths.
Banner Health reaches capacity with ECMO machines
In a statement, Banner Health said it is not at ventilator capacity but is at capacity for ECMO circuits.
Here is the statement from Banner Health:
Banner is not at ventilator capacity. We have available ventilators should they be needed for COVID and non-COVID patients. We are at capacity for ECMO circuits which are currently in use with critically ill COVID patients.
Hash Kitchen Arcadia closes after COVID-19 exposure
Hash Kitchen Arcadia said in a Facebook post that an individual tested positive for COVID-19.
It was not immediately known whether the individual was a customer or an employee.
The company said the location temporarily closed and contracted a disinfection service to completely disinfect the restaurant.
Hash Kitchen will remain closed until all employees test for COVID-19 and the restaurant feels that it is safe to reopen its doors.
Navajo Nation cases grow by 125
The Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 125 new cases of COVID-19 for the Navajo Nation and seven more deaths.
The total number of deaths has reached 292 as of Wednesday.
Preliminary reports from 11 health care facilities indicate that approximately 2,997 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, with one health care facility report still pending.
More than 41,000 people have been tested for COVID-19, which represents 20.3% of the Navajo Nation’s residents.
The total number of positive COVID-19 cases for the Navajo Nation has reached 6,275.
Rep. Ruben Gallego seeks coronavirus plan from Gov. Doug Ducey
In a letter, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego asked Gov. Doug Ducey about what his administration plans to do about the rising number of coronavirus cases in Arizona.
Arizona hospitals at 83% capacity, elective surgery may stop
Arizona hospitals that are expected to be able to treat new cases of coronavirus without going into crisis mode were above 80% capacity as the state becomes a hotspot.
The milestone should trigger an automatic end to elective surgeries at affected hospitals.
Wednesday's report from the Department of Health Services comes as the state deals with a surge in virus cases and hospitalizations that experts say is likely tied to Gov. Doug Ducey’s ending of statewide closure orders in mid-May.
Ducey has been criticized for not adding requirements that could prevent a surge, and some say the time to put those measures in place has come.
Arizona congressman seeks action after virus cases surge
A Democratic congressman wants to know what Republican Gov. Doug Ducey plans to do to address a recent surge in new coronavirus cases as the state becomes a hotspot.
Rep. Ruben Gallego sent a letter to Ducey Wednesday criticizing him for failing to highlight the “seriousness of the growing public health emergency our state is facing.”
Gallego noted that Ducey has said the rise in cases was expected and said it partly resulted from increased testing.
But public health experts have said it is clear the increase goes well beyond that.
Census workers to resume delivering packets to Navajo homes
Census workers will resume dropping off questionnaires at homes on the Navajo Nation this week.
The tribe's legislative branch says the work to deliver paper packets to more than 70,000 homes begins Thursday.
The operation began in mid-March but quickly was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The U.S. Census Bureau says it has trained staff in social distancing and given workers protective equipment.
People who receive the packets can fill out the census using the paper forms, by phone or online.
According to the Census Bureau, less than 1% of Navajos have responded on their own so far.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
St. Vincent de Paul to launch rapid COVID-19 testing
St. Vincent de Paul launched rapid COVID-19 testing with CVS Health at the nonprofit’s Virginia G. Piper Medical & Dental Clinic for the uninsured.
Licensed health care providers from MinuteClinic and CVS Pharmacy colleagues will staff the testing operation.
Testing at St. Vincent de Paul’s clinic, located at 420 W. Watkins Road in Phoenix, will be free and open to the public by appointment only.
Patients will need to pre-register in advance by calling 602-850-6940 to schedule a same-day time slot for testing.
A personal vehicle is not required for testing and results will be provided on-the-spot.
To be eligible for testing, patients will need to meet criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in addition to age guidelines.
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 below 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 are 31,264 people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 1,127 coronavirus-related deaths.
That's up from 29,852 confirmed cases and 1,095 deaths on Wednesday.
That's an increase of 1,412 new cases reported on Thursday, a decrease from the 1,556 new cases reported on Wednesday.
There were 32 new deaths reported on Thursday, up from the 25 new deaths reported on Wednesday.
In total, 12,383 new tests were reported on Thursday, up from 7,770 tests that were reported on Wednesday.
There have been a total of 429,327 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Thursday.
6.5% of those tests have been positive, up from Wednesday's 6.4%.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 16,018
- Pima: 3,479
- Pinal: 1,281
- Coconino: 1,317
- Navajo: 2,479
- Apache: 1,887
- Mohave: 563
- La Paz: 211
- Yuma: 2,585
- Graham: 48
- Cochise: 171
- Santa Cruz: 805
- Yavapai: 359
- Gila: 49
- Greenlee: 12
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:
- 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.
