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 Thursday, March 4.
Major updates:
- There have been 821,108 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 16,185 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Thursday.
- There have been 1,958,342 total vaccines administered as of Thursday.
- 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 Thursday
There have been 821,108 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 16,185 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state health department data.
That's an increase from the 819,954 confirmed cases and 16,089 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Wednesday.
A week ago, there were 812,907 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 15,814 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 4 de marzo: 1,154 nuevos casos, 96 muertes se reportan el jueves
1,154 new cases, 96 new deaths reported Thursday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 1,154 new cases and 96 new deaths on Thursday.
Arizona has administered 1,958,342 total vaccines COVID-19 vaccine doses as of Thursday.
COVID-19-related inpatient hospitalizations dropped to 1,072 as of Wednesday.
That's the fewest since Nov. 13 when the fall and winter surge was on the rise.
The rolling average of daily new cases dropped from 1,687.1 to 1,140.9 Wednesday while the rolling average of daily deaths declined from 85.9 to 66.2 during the same period.
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 are 165 hospitalizations per 1 million in Arizona as of Wednesday, down from 170 on Tuesday, according to The COVID Tracking Project. You can find more data from the project here.
There were 12,227 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 Dec. 28, with 11,651 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.
WATCH: Advocates call on Ducey to prioritize people with disabilities
Advocates for Arizonans with disabilities are calling on Gov. Doug Ducey to make people with disabilities a priority for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Click on this link to watch the full news conference.
Arizona vaccine appointments could be opened to all ages by summer
Arizonans between the ages of 35 and 55 may be getting the vaccine much earlier than anticipated, according to a recent update from Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ.
Vaccines will tentatively be opened up to people over the age of 45 at the beginning of April, Christ said. That age minimum will reportedly be dropped again to those 35 and older at the end of April or beginning of May.
Christ also said Arizonans should anticipate the vaccine process to be opened up to all ages by the start of summer.
The original vaccination plan for Arizona said those over the age of 65 would be allowed to get the vaccine. Then an announcement was made on Monday that the minimum age requirement was being dropped to 55.
Ducey issues order for Arizona schools to reopen this month
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has issued an executive order for students and teachers to return to school later this month.
Schools must return to in-person learning by March 15 or after their spring break.
The only exceptions will be middle and high schools in counties where COVID-19 transmission rates are considered high.
The Republican governor said he made the decision after consulting with public school leaders and looking at the federal health guidelines.
A dozen of Arizona’s 15 counties have reached stages where they are eligible to reopen.
That includes the two largest, Maricopa and Pima.
The state superintendent cautioned against imposing the same timeline on every school.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Arizona House OKs bill on businesses ignoring mask mandates
The Republican-controlled Arizona House has advanced a measure that would let businesses ignore government mask mandates imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Wednesday's 31-28 partyline vote came despite emotional opposition from minority Democrats who say it could cost lives.
Republicans were just as passionate. They argued government mask mandates and other actions amid the pandemic have hurt businesses and that masks don’t necessarily keep COVID-19 from spreading.
The proposal now goes to the Senate for consideration.
The House debated the bill for more than an hour, with Democrats and Republicans sparring about the pandemic response that has added to the political polarization across the nation.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
States rapidly expanding vaccine access as supplies surge
Cities and states are rapidly expanding access to vaccines as the nation races to head off a resurgence in coronavirus infections and reopen schools and businesses battered by the pandemic.
The efforts come as the federal government ramps up shipments, with President Joe Biden saying the U.S. should have enough shots for all adults by the end of May.
It also comes as more states are lifting restrictions like mask-wearing and reopening businesses despite warnings from health officials that it's too risky.
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and other states say teachers will get the first doses of the new one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Detroit is starting to vaccinate factory workers. And some states are vaccinating anyone 50 or older.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Navajo Nation reports 20 new COVID-19 cases, 3 more deaths
The Navajo Nation on Wednesday reported 20 new COVID-19 cases with three additional deaths.
The latest figures from tribal health officials bring the total number of COVID-19 cases to 29,794 cases since the pandemic began.
The death toll now is 1,187. Health facilities on the reservation and in border towns are conducting drive-thru vaccine events or administering doses by appointment.
The Navajo-area Indian Health Service has vaccinated more than 135,000 people so far.
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 to prevent the spread of the virus.
Tribal health officials say more than 16,000 people have recovered from COVID-19.
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 1.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered as of Thursday.
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 Thursday
There have been 821,108 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 16,185 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.
That's an increase from the 819,954 confirmed cases and 16,089 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Wednesday.
There were 1,154 new cases reported on Thursday, a decrease from the 1,284 new cases reported on Wednesday.
There were 96 new deaths reported on Thursday, an increase from the 29 new deaths reported on Wednesday.
There were 12,227 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 Dec. 28, with 11,651 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, 11,214 new tests were reported on Thursday, a decrease from the 16,479 new tests reported on Wednesday.
There have been a total of 4,238,657 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Thursday.
14.1% of those tests have been positive as of Thursday, the same since Monday.
Here's a breakdown of the number of cases reported in each county:
- Maricopa: 513,035
- Pima: 110,072
- Pinal: 46,630
- Coconino: 16,648
- Navajo: 15,689
- Apache: 10,511
- Mohave: 21,291
- La Paz: 2,412
- Yuma: 36,516
- Graham: 5,299
- Cochise: 11,273
- Santa Cruz: 7,641
- Yavapai: 17,120
- Gila: 6,411
- Greenlee: 560
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.
Coronavirus facts you should know
Watch more videos featuring the latest news about COVID-19 in Arizona, including doctor responses to questions about the coronavirus, in our 12 News YouTube Playlist here.