PHOENIX — 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 Friday, March 5.
Major updates:
- There have been 823,384 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 16,269 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Friday.
- There have been 2,016,512 total vaccines administered as of Friday.
- 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 Friday
There have been 823,384 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 16,269 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state health department data.
That's an increase from the 821,108 confirmed cases and 16,185 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Thursday.
A week ago, there were 814,528 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 15,897 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 5 de marzo: 2,276 nuevos casos, 84 muertes se reportan el viernes
2,276 new cases, 84 new deaths reported Friday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 2,276 new cases and 84 new deaths on Friday.
Arizona has administered 2,016,512 total vaccines COVID-19 vaccine doses as of Friday.
Arizona’s seven-day rolling average of daily new cases was nearly 1,172 as of Thursday, down from about 1,585 on Feb. 18, while the rolling average of daily deaths dropped from 87.7 to 62 during the same period.
That's according to data from The COVID Tracking Project.
The number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations continued to decrease, accounting for 1,043 inpatient beds as of Thursday.
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 152 hospitalizations per 1 million in Arizona as of Thursday, down from 165 on Wednesday, according to The COVID Tracking Project. You can find more data from the project here.
There were 12,313 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 11,664 cases. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of deaths was Jan. 18, when 170 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.
Pima County to reopen outdoor facilities for organized sports activities
The Pima County Health Department said it will open county-owned parks and sports complexes for organized sports starting on March 6.
The guidelines for reopening are below:
"The guidelines for using facilities can be found on the Back to Business webpage under “Operating Guidance for Businesses and Events During the Pandemic.” The guidance and attestation form, found under the “Sports Activities” tab, include:
- Initial spectator limit of 50 individuals per outdoor field/use area, and no spectators at indoor venues;
- Required face coverings by coaches, officials and spectators, and wearing of masks by players when not involved in active play;
- Limiting seating to non-bleacher areas where spectators can keep six (6) feet spacing between separate parties;
- Posting of COVID-19 advisory signage;
- Designating event staff or volunteers to monitor and enforce adherence to mitigation measures; and
- Completion of an attestation form accepting the required mitigation measures."
Gila County expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adult residents
Gila County is making the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine available to all of the adults living in the county of 54,000 people.
Disabilities rights groups pan Arizona vaccination plans
Advocates are calling on Arizona to prioritize people with disabilities and their caregivers when it comes to administering COVID-19 vaccines.
State disability rights groups said Thursday that Gov. Doug Ducey’s changing to an age-based vaccine plan has them worried about those in their 40s and younger who have disabilities.
Advocates say the state also needs to provide more communication resources for the registration process and at vaccine sites.
When asked about the matter, state Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ asserted the age-based plan will actually lead to those with disabilities becoming eligible earlier.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
RELATED: Advocates call on Arizona to prioritize people with disabilities in COVID-19 vaccine rollout
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor to open at 25% capacity
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix will open for the season on March 13.
The park will open at 25% capacity, per Maricopa County guidance, and anyone who had a 2020 season pass will be able to use it for 2021.
“We are excited to open our gates and welcome guests back,” General Manager Donald Spiller said in a press release.
“The health and safety of our guests and team members remains our top priority and we’ve worked to create a fun and safe environment for everyone.”
The park has implemented extensive safety measures and hygiene protocols to keep guests and employees safe, officials said.
An online reservation system will be used to manage attendance and schedule guests for entry by day.
Navajo Nation reports 19 new COVID-19 cases, 7 more deaths
The Navajo Nation on Thursday reported 19 new COVID-19 cases with seven additional deaths.
The latest figures from tribal health officials bring the total number of COVID-19 cases to 29,816 cases since the pandemic began.
The death toll now is 1,194.
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.
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 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered as of Friday.
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 Friday
There have been 823,384 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 16,269 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.
That's an increase from the 821,108 confirmed cases and 16,185 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Thursday.
There were 2,276 new cases reported on Friday, an increase from the 1,154 new cases reported on Thursday.
There were 84 new deaths reported on Friday, a decrease from the 96 new deaths reported on Thursday.
There were 12,313 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 11,664 cases. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of deaths was Jan. 18, when 170 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, 21,441 new tests were reported on Friday, an increase from the 11,214 new tests reported on Thursday.
There have been a total of 4,260,114 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Friday.
14% of those tests have been positive as of Friday, down from 14.1% on Thursday.
Here's a breakdown of the number of cases reported in each county:
- Maricopa: 514,132
- Pima: 110,287
- Pinal: 46,770
- Coconino: 16,687
- Navajo: 15,729
- Apache: 10,643
- Mohave: 21,330
- La Paz: 2,413
- Yuma: 36,531
- Graham: 5,310
- Cochise: 11,292
- Santa Cruz: 7,646
- Yavapai: 17,637
- Gila: 6,417
- 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.
