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 Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Major updates:
- There have been 232,937 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,837 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Tuesday.
- 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.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Tuesday
There have been 232,937 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,837 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Tuesday.
That is an increase from the 231,897 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,830 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Monday.
A week ago, there were 226,734 cases and 5,767 deaths reported in Arizona.
1,040 new cases, 7 new deaths reported Tuesday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 1,040 new cases and seven new deaths on Tuesday.
Arizona reached 200,000 coronavirus cases on Aug. 27, 100,000 on July 6 and 50,000 cases on June 21. The state reached 5,000 coronavirus deaths 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.
Arizona's Rt, pronounced r-naught, was at 1.10 on Monday, the same as Sunday.
The Rt is essentially a mathematical number that shows whether more people are becoming infected or less.
The concern is that any Rt over 1, no matter how small, means the virus may grow exponentially.
There were 5,465 cases reported on the collection date of June 29, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of reported deaths was July 17, when 101 people died. That is subject to change.
Health officials continued to stress that people should continue social distancing, wearing masks in public, and stay home when possible.
Arizona early ballots to be counted starting Tuesday
With just 14 days left until Election Day, workers will begin counting all the early ballots in Arizona starting Tuesday. Team 12's Rachel Cole has the latest.
More students set to return to classrooms at UArizona
More students are set to return back to the classroom at the University in Arizona in less than a week. Team 12's Jen Wahl has the latest.
Feds: Hoover Dam is reopening to the public on Tuesday
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is reopening Hoover Dam to the public on Tuesday, seven months after it closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal officials say visitors will be able to access all open areas and visit the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge plaza and walkway.
The visitor center will remain closed with no tours or exhibits available.
Visitors to the dam at the Nevada-Arizona border are being asked to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines when it comes to preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Navajo Nation reports 14 new COVID-19 cases, 1 more death
Navajo Nation health officials are confirming 14 new cases of COVID-19 and one additional death.
The figures released Monday night bring the total number of cases to 10,969. The known death toll now is 574.
Tribal health officials say 116,676 people on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah have been tested for COVID-19 since the pandemic started and 7,396 have recovered.
A shelter-in-place order, mask mandate, daily curfews and weekend lockdowns remain in effect on the Navajo Nation.
Most people experience mild or moderate symptoms with the coronavirus, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
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.
RELATED: Arizona’s health department wants you to report businesses that don’t enforce safety requirements
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 Tuesday
There have been 232,937 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,837 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Tuesday.
That is an increase from the 231,897 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,830 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Monday.
There were 1,040 new cases reported on Tuesday.
There were seven new deaths reported on Tuesday.
There were 5,465 cases reported on the collection date of June 29, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of reported deaths was July 17, when 101 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 7,999 new tests were reported on Tuesday.
There have been a total of 1,939,212 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Sunday.
9.9% of those tests have been positive as of Tuesday, the same since Saturday.
Here's a breakdown of the number of cases in each county:
- Maricopa: 150,881
- Pima: 27,019
- Pinal: 11,476
- Coconino: 4,789
- Navajo: 6,149
- Apache: 3,798
- Mohave: 4,211
- La Paz: 606
- Yuma: 13,284
- Graham: 1,053
- Cochise: 2,062
- Santa Cruz: 2,957
- Yavapai: 2,798
- Gila: 1,772
- Greenlee: 82
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:
- 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.
