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 6.
Major updates:
- There are now 9,707 confirmed cases (22.4% increase over the average case numbers for the previous seven days) of coronavirus in Arizona as of Wednesday morning.
- 426 people have died from the virus or complications related to the virus in Arizona, as of Wednesday morning.
- The state does not record how many people have recovered.
- Gov. Ducey announced Monday that barbers and salons can reopen May 8 and dine-in restaurants can open May 11.
- Arizona retail shops started to reopen Monday.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code in Arizona.
Need to know:
- Here's the national live blog for May 6
- Frequently asked questions about COVID-19 restrictions
- Here’s how to get tested for coronavirus in Arizona
- Concern grows for people quarantined with abusers
There are now 9,707 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona, 426 deaths
There are now 9,707 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona with 426 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the state's latest numbers.
Cases are up from 9,305 confirmed cases on Tuesday with 395 coronavirus-related deaths.
One week ago, there were 7,202 cases and 304 deaths in Arizona.
Scroll down for more information.
Arizona COVID-19 Dashboard now includes data about antibody testing
The Arizona Department of Health Services has updated its dashboard to include more information about antibody testing for COVID-19 in the state.
Before, the data only showed diagnostic testing information. Now that the state is expanding tests, tests that look for the presence of antibodies are included in the dashboard.
ADHS said it is difficult to draw conclusions from antibody testing data because this kind of testing for the coronavirus is so new.
Also, the antibody test may give a false positive if there are antibodies to other coronaviruses that cause the common cold.
ASU continuing modeling data
The state health department announced Tuesday that it would stop making prediction models of the coronavirus outbreak, but Arizona State University will continue its work.
ASU and the University of Arizona were part of the department's Modeling Working Group, which provided estimates on the number of COVID-19 cases, hospital beds, ICU beds, ventilators and economic impact assessments.
Now that Arizona has updated guidelines on reopening, ADHS reached out to ASU to tell them to discontinue its research services until the fall
An ASU spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday that the university would continue to make its COVID-19 models available to the public.
"Moving forward, ASU will continue to perform its COVID-19 research, and will make these updates publicly available during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," the statement said, in part.
Arizona National Guard doing tribute flight over Northern Arizona
The Arizona National Guard is again honoring those who served on the frontlines against the coronavirus.
This time, people in Northern Arizona and New Mexico will be able to witness the tribute that is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
The flight will move over hospitals starting in Gallup at 12:49 p.m. MST; Navajo Capital at 12:54 p.m.; Fort Defiance at 12:55 p.m.; Chinle at 1:02 p.m.; Kayenta at 1:11 p.m.; Tuba City at 1:23 p.m.; Flagstaff at 1:37 p.m.; and Prescott at 1:51 p.m.
The tribute is also serving as a refueling training mission.
The Arizona National Guard also participated in the flyover in the Phoenix area May 1.
Tempe nonprofits get help from grant
Five nonprofits in Tempe received a grant to help continue serving the community.
The Tempe Community Foundation and the Tempe Community Council awarded $50,000 to help these agencies. Recipients are the Tempe Community Action Agency, Tempe Salvation Army, Mountain Park Health Center in Tempe, HOPE, the City of Tempe’s homeless outreach program and the Tempe YMCA.
Navajo police cite hundreds
Police from the Navajo Nation issued hundreds of citations during the curfew that started May 1 and ended May 3.
The Navajo Nation has been issuing weekend-long curfews to slow the spread of the virus.
There were 223 curfew violations and 51 traffic violations as a result of police patrols.
Scottsdale to reopen sporting courts and skateparks on Friday
Scottsdale confirmed the city's outdoor tennis courts, pickleball courts, and the McDowell Mountain Ranch skate park will reopen for the public Friday, May 8.
The city said it will still be cleaning facilities regularly to help suppress the spread of COVID-19. The city asked anyone who does not feel well or has any symptoms of illness to stay home. It also advised that people should not gather in groups and asked everyone to wash their hands.
Some Arizona nonprofits may not overcome virus-driven losses
Nearly half of nonprofits in Arizona will be unable to serve the public within the next month because of the heavy toll brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
Arizona State University released a survey Tuesday that found many nonprofits are facing bleak prospects due to losses in revenue and volunteering.
While some programs like food banks and child care are seeing their demand balloon, other nonprofits such as performing arts groups continue to spiral.
Those surveyed cited cancellations of major fundraisers and few donations because of rising unemployment.
Stay-at-home orders also forced groups to cease in-person programs.
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 Wednesday
There are 9,707 cases and 326 deaths in Arizona as of Tuesday.
That's an increase of 402 new cases reported since Tuesday and 31 new reported deaths.
In total 3,477 new tests were reported Wednesday. There has been a total of 91,737 tests reported to the state as of Wednesday.
Eight percent of those tests have been positive.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 5,138
- Pima: 1,425
- Pinal: 497
- Coconino: 588
- Navajo: 892
- Apache: 612
- Mohave: 150
- La Paz: 18
- Yuma: 134
- Graham: 19
- Cochise: 40
- Santa Cruz: 37
- Yavapai: 140
- Gila: 15
- Greenlee: 2
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.
