PHOENIX — 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 Friday, May 29.
Major updates:
- There are 18,465 people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 885 coronavirus-related deaths, as of Friday 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.
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Friday
There are 18,465 people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 885 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the state's latest numbers.
That's up from 17,763 confirmed cases and 857 deaths on Thursday.
One week ago, there were 15,608 cases across the state with 775 deaths.
Scroll down for more information.
Testing blitz to continue this weekend
Gov. Doug Ducey and the Arizona Department of Health Services announced the so-called COVID-19 testing blitz will continue this upcoming weekend.
Policies and procedures for patient criteria, billing, and pre-registration requirements vary by site.
Sites participating in the Arizona Testing Blitz will offer diagnostic testing for COVID-19, which is designed to determine whether a patient is currently infected with the virus.
Antibody testing is not a part of the Arizona Testing Blitz.
Navajo Nation cases top 5,000, with 167 deaths
The Navajo Department of Health reported 100 new cases of COVID-19 for the Navajo Nation and eight more deaths as of Friday.
The total number of positive COVID-19 cases for the Navajo Nation has reached 5,044.
The total number of deaths has reached 167 as of Thursday.
Preliminary reports from nine health care facilities indicate that approximately 1,745 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, with more reports still pending.
President Jonathan Nez said there will be another 57-hour weekend lockdown from 8:00 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday.
This will be the eighth weekend lockdown that also requires the closure of all businesses on the Navajo Nation.
St. Mary's to hold shopping mall food drive on Saturday
St. Mary’s is teaming up with Macerich to hold a one-time “Shopping Mall Food Haul” food drive on Saturday.
Volunteers from St. Mary’s will be at four Macerich mall locations, as well as St. Mary’s Food Bank locations in Phoenix and Surprise, to safely collect food donations from the public.
Volunteers will have masks and glove and will remove the donations from your car.
Please place the food in car trunks, SUV hatch backs and truck beds whenever possible.
Donations will be accepted in the following locations from 7-11 a.m:
- Central Phoenix: St. Mary’s Food Bank (2831 N. 31st Avenue)
- Glendale: Arrowhead Towne Center, 77th Ave & Bell Road – South Mall Entrance
- Paradise Valley: Paradise Valley Mall – Off Tatum Blvd between Dillard’s and Macys, behind Wendy’s
- West Phoenix: Desert Sky Mall (7611 West Thomas Road – Outside the Food Court near Dillard’s
- Scottsdale: Scottsdale Fashion Square – Camelback Road & Marshall Way, next to Crate & Barrel
- Surprise: St. Mary’s Food Bank (13050 W. Elm Street)
- West Phoenix: Desert Sky Mall (7611 West Thomas Road)
The most needed items include peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables and bottled water, but any non-perishable food donations are welcome.
Peoria schools to offer free food to students under 18
The Peoria Unified School District will provide lunch with breakfast for the next day for free to any child under the age of 18 this summer.
Lunch and breakfast will be served at 26 school sites through Thursday, July 23.
Meals will not be served on Monday, July 6 as all district sites are closed.
Meals are available for curbside pick-up by car, or walk-up.
Children must be present, or student identification must be presented.
Children do not have to be enrolled in the Peoria Unified School District to participate.
Meals for those 19-years or older will cost $1.75 for breakfast and $3.00 for lunch and dinner.
More information is available at www.peoriaunified.org.
Virus protection adds new wrinkle to Southwest heat relief
Trying to stay safe during a global pandemic is hard enough, but people in Southwest desert cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas where temperatures can soar into the triple digits are also trying to protect themselves from the brutal heat.
With many government-run spaces like libraries still closed this week to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Salvation Army is among nonprofits shouldering much of a responsibility for ensuring people stay cool and hydrated amid an extreme heat warning in parts of the southwestern U.S.
At the cooling sites, they are also asking people to follow protocols aimed at preventing the virus' spread.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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 Friday
There are 18,465 people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 885 coronavirus-related deaths as of Friday morning.
That's up from 17,763 confirmed cases and 857 deaths on Thursday.
That's an increase of 702 new cases reported since Thursday, a jump from the 501 new cases reported on Wednesday.
There were 28 new deaths reported on Friday, up from 26 new deaths reported on Thursday.
In total, 9,890 new tests were reported on Friday, up from 8,055 tests that were reported on Thursday.
There have been a total of 297,495 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Friday.
5.6% of those tests have been positive, a slight increase from Thursday's 5.5%.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 9,112
- Pima: 2,234
- Pinal: 814
- Coconino: 1,104
- Navajo: 1,752
- Apache: 1,414
- Mohave: 369
- La Paz: 54
- Yuma: 929
- Graham: 27
- Cochise: 67
- Santa Cruz: 262
- Yavapai: 295
- Gila: 28
- Greenlee: 4
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.
