The path towards reopening Arizona has started, but it will be gradual.
In an effort to track the changes, 12 News has started a daily live blog.
Here is the live blog for Wednesday, May 20.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: 20 de mayo: Aquí lo que necesita saber sobre el brote del coronavirus en Arizona
Major updates:
- There are 14,897 people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 747 coronavirus-related deaths, as of Wednesday morning.
- The state does not record how many people have recovered.
- Arizona's stay-at-home order expired last week.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Wednesday
There are 14,897 people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 747 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the state's latest numbers.
That's up from 14,556 confirmed cases and 704 deaths on Tuesday.
One week ago, there were 12,176 cases across the state with 594 deaths.
The Arizona Department of Health released a statement saying that 21 of the 43 new deaths reported on Wednesday are from death certificate matching, while the other 22 were reported to the department on Tuesday.
More about the state's use of death certificate surveillance can be seen here.
Scroll down for more information.
Sky Harbor requiring face coverings starting in June
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport will require all employees, travelers and visitors to wear face coverings starting June 1.
Members of the public entering public airport facilities, including the terminals, the rental car center, the PHX Sky Train, and airport buses, will need to wear a face covering.
The coverings will have to cover your nose and mouth.
Travelers, employees and those visiting the airport should bring their own mask to wear throughout the airport.
Several airport stores are selling facial coverings with more stores to offer additional options soon.
Cochise County reports first death
A Cochise County resident has reportedly died from COVID-19, and officials say it's the first for the county.
The patient was a 65-year-old man who was being treated in Tuscon. There have been 46 reported cases of coronavirus across the county since the outbreak began.
Navajo Nation cases increase to 4,153 with 144 deaths
The Navajo Department of Health reported 82 new cases of COVID-19 for the Navajo Nation.
The total number of positive COVID-19 cases for the Navajo Nation has reached 4,153 and the total number of deaths is now 144.
Preliminary reports from six health care facilities indicate that approximately 1,001 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, with more reports still pending.
A total of 26,267 COVID-19 tests have been administered with 20,200 negative results.
“The Navajo Nation is testing our citizens at a greater rate per capita than any other state in the country. Close to 12% of our population on the Navajo Nation has been tested compared to less than 10% for states," Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in a statement.
"Today, there was another large-scale testing event held in the community of Tonalea, so we might see another spike in our positive case numbers in a few days once those test results are confirmed. The more people we identify who have the virus, the more people that we can isolate to help flatten the curve."
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 Wednesday
There are 14,897 people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 747 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the state's latest numbers.
That's up from 14,566 confirmed cases and 704 deaths on Tuesday.
That's an increase of 331 new cases reported since Tuesday, slightly down from the 396 new cases reported on Monday.
There were 43 new deaths reported on Wednesday, drastically up from the 18 new deaths reported on Tuesday.
In total, 6,487 new tests were reported on Wednesday, down from 7,828 tests that were reported on Tuesday.
There have been a total of 227,099 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Wednesday.
5.8% of those tests have been positive.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 7,644
- Pima: 1,903
- Pinal: 724
- Coconino: 961
- Navajo: 1,361
- Apache: 1,080
- Mohave: 267
- La Paz: 40
- Yuma: 450
- Graham: 21
- Cochise: 46
- Santa Cruz: 102
- Yavapai: 273
- Gila: 22
- Greenlee: 3
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.
