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 Wednesday, March 10.
Major updates:
- There have been 828,630 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 16,404 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Wednesday.
- There have been 2,251,363 total vaccines administered as of Wednesday.
- 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 Wednesday
There have been 828,630 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 16,404 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state health department data.
That's an increase from the 827,800 confirmed cases and 16,326 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Tuesday.
A week ago, there were 819,954 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 16,089 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 10 de marzo: 830 nuevos casos, 78 muerte se reportan el miércoles
830 new cases, 78 new deaths reported Wednesday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 830 new cases and 78 new deaths on Wednesday.
Wednesday marked the third day in a row that the department reported less than 1,000 new cases each day.
The number of related hospitalizations continued to drop, with COVID-19 patients occupying 868 inpatient beds as of Tuesday. That's down from 925 on Monday and only about a sixth of the pandemic peak of 5,082 on Jan. 11.
Arizona has administered 2,251,363 total vaccines COVID-19 vaccine doses as of Wednesday.
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.
There were 12,391 cases reported on the collection date of Jan. 4, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. The day with the second-most collected diagnoses so far was on Jan. 5, with 11,728 cases. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of deaths was Jan. 18, when 171 people died. The day with the second-highest number of deaths was Jan. 13, when 165 people died. That is subject to change.
Arizona reached 800,000 coronavirus cases on Feb. 17, 700,000 on Jan. 22, 600,000 on Jan. 9, 500,000 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 16,000 coronavirus deaths on on March 2, 15,000 on Feb. 17, 14,000 on Feb. 6, 13,000 on Jan. 29, 12,000 on Jan. 22, 11,000 on Jan. 15, 10,000 on Jan. 9, 9,000 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.
Health officials continued to stress that people should continue social distancing, wearing masks in public, and stay home when possible.
Latest on COVID-19 in Arizona on Wednesday morning, March 10
Team 12's Matt Yurus has the latest on COVID-19 in Arizona on Wednesday morning, March 10.
Maricopa County to distribute Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
Maricopa County health officials said Wednesday that the county would begin distributing the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine this week.
The Maricopa County Department of Public Health said the move was part of its plan to vaccinate frontline or public-facing essential workers.
The list of front line essential workers as defined by the state includes:
- Food and agriculture
- Grocery store, convenience store, and carnicerias
- U.S. Postal Service
- Public transit
- State and local government
- Funeral homes (if not previously covered in 1A)
- Manufacturing
Prioritizing essential workers in the COVID-19 vaccine distribution follows federal guidelines for people with jobs that put them at highest risk for exposure to COVID-19.
“Employers and organizations across Maricopa County are helping us connect with the essential workers in these categories,” Marcy Flanagan, executive director of MCDPH, said in a statement.
“As they set up events, we will provide vaccine and support to make sure we reach this critical group.”
Not everyone in these industries will be immediately eligible for the vaccine, county officials said Wednesday.
But as supply increases and more people are vaccinated, additional age-based groups will become eligible, allowing more opportunities for vaccination.
TGen testing Arizona dogs, cats for COVID-19 study
TGen, otherwise known as the Translational Genomics Research Institute, is testing pets of Arizonans who have contracted COVID-19.
“We want to better understand the risk factors leading to any form of COVID-19 transmission between humans and animals,” Hayley Yaglom, a genomic epidemiologist and lead TGen investigator on the study, said in a statement.
So far, four pets — two dogs, and two cats —have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arizona. There is no evidence suggesting that pets can spread the virus to humans.
No pets will be harmed during the study.
Ducey encourages vaccination, sorry for registration woes
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and his top health official say they are sorry people have struggled to make a vaccine appointment and they are working to make it as easy as possible for people to get inoculated.
Ducey and Dr. Cara Christ issued the apology Tuesday to a man who said on a telephone town hall that vaccine registration has been “a real disaster."
Ducey says “this has been a bumpy time” but has worked to increase computer capacity and build out a massive vaccination center at the Arizona Cardinals stadium.
Ducey and Christ fielded more than two dozen questions, many about how to get vaccinated or whether someone should get a shot with their specific health conditions.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Volunteers are key at vaccine sites. It sometimes pays off with a shot
As states ramp up vaccination distribution in the fight against the coronavirus, volunteers are needed to do everything from direct traffic to check people in to keep vaccination sites running smoothly.
In return for their work, they’re often given a shot.
Many people who don’t yet qualify for a vaccine have been volunteering in hopes of getting a dose they otherwise may not receive for months.
That’s raised questions at a time when supplies are limited and Americans have struggled to get vaccinated even if they're eligible.
But medical ethicists say volunteers are a key part of the public health effort.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Navajo Nation reports 12 new COVID-19 cases and 1 more death
The Navajo Nation on Tuesday reported 12 additional COVID-19 cases and one more death from the virus as a downward trend in infections and hospitalizations continues.
The latest numbers pushed the tribe’s totals to 29,887 confirmed cases and 1,204 known deaths since the pandemic began a year ago.
Also on Tuesday, the Navajo Department of Health identified eight communities with uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 compared with 75 communities having an uncontrolled spread in January.
Health facilities on the reservation and in border towns are conducting drive-thru vaccine events or administering doses by appointment.
A daily curfew from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. and a mask mandate remain in effect for residents of the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Here is the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines in Arizona
The Arizona Department of Health Services said more than 2.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered as of Wednesday.
Who can get a COVID-19 vaccine?
The state and each county is offering vaccines to people in Phase 1B. Gila County has extended vaccines to some people in Phase 1C. Learn more about the phases here.
How can I sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine?
You can sign up for a vaccine through the state here or find more information about finding up through the counties here.
Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine?
There are four locations where the state is administering vaccines: State Farm Stadium, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Chandler-Gilbert Community College and University of Arizona's Tucson campus. All other locations are run through the individual counties or federal programs.
Where can I find more information on a COVID-19 vaccine?
You can find more vaccine information at 12News.com/Vaccine.
COVID-19 data dashboard now includes vaccine information
The Arizona Department of Health Services updated its COVID-19 data dashboard to include information including vaccination numbers and demographic data.
The new information can be found on the dashboard in the tab right next to the summary tab where daily coronavirus cases, deaths, and testing numbers are updated.
You can see the updated dashboard here.
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 Wednesday
There have been 828,630 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 16,404 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.
That's an increase from the 827,800 confirmed cases and 16,326 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Tuesday.
There were 830 new cases reported on Wednesday, an increase from the 563 new cases reported on Tuesday.
There were 78 new deaths reported on Wednesday, an increase from the zero new deaths reported on Tuesday.
There were 12,391 cases reported on the collection date of Jan. 4, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. The day with the second-most collected diagnoses so far was on Jan. 5, with 11,728 cases. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of deaths was Jan. 18, when 171 people died. The day with the second-highest number of deaths was Jan. 13, when 165 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 11,988 new tests were reported on Wednesday, an increase from the 4,861 new tests reported on Tuesday.
There have been a total of 4,311,903 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Wednesday.
14% of those tests have been positive as of Wednesday, the same since last Friday.
Here's a breakdown of the number of cases reported in each county:
- Maricopa: 517,726
- Pima: 110,790
- Pinal: 47,093
- Coconino: 16,795
- Navajo: 15,702
- Apache: 10,662
- Mohave: 21,484
- La Paz: 2,421
- Yuma: 36,581
- Graham: 5,322
- Cochise: 11,359
- Santa Cruz: 7,664
- Yavapai: 18,046
- Gila: 6,424
- Greenlee: 561
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.
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.
For the latest news about COVID-19, including doctor responses to questions about the coronavirus, watch our 12 News YouTube Playlist here.