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 Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Major updates:
- There have been 215,284 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,525 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Wednesday.
- 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 Wednesday
There have been 215,284 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,525 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state's latest numbers.
That is an increase from 214,846 cases and 5,498 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Tuesday.
A week ago, there were 209,907 cases and 5,371 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 23 de septiembre: 438 casos nuevos y 27 decesos se reportan el miércoles
438 new cases, 27 new deaths reported Wednesday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 438 new cases and 27 new deaths on Wednesday.
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 0.93 as of Monday.
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 5,477 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 98 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.
Eric Trump to visit Valley on Wednesday
Eric Trump will be the latest member of the Trump campaign to visit the Valley on Wednesday. Team 12's Trisha Hendricks has the latest.
Could Mesa Public Schools students soon return to the classroom full time?
Students and teachers in Mesa Public Schools are operating under hybrid learning, but that could all change soon. Team 12's Jen Wahl has the latest.
2 students at Scottsdale high school test positive for COVID-19
Two students at a high school in Scottsdale have tested positive for COVID-19, according to letters sent to parents from district officials.
The Cave Creek Unified School District said two separate students at Cactus Shadows High School have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days.
District officials said they were notified on Sept. 18 that the first student tested positive and were notified on Tuesday that the second student tested positive.
The first student last attended school on Sept. 17 and the second student last attended school on Sept. 18.
Both students were placed under quarantine and would not return until cleared for school attendance, officials said.
Any students or staff who may have been exposed were notified by the school and any exposed locations would be cleaned and disinfected.
Peoria park to open to the public on Oct. 3
A new park in Peoria will open to the public on Oct. 3, but there will not be a ribbon-cutting ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Paloma Community Park will be located at Dixileta Drive and Lake Pleasant Parkway, just south of the Loop 303.
It includes multipurpose fields, a fishing lake, inclusive playground features and splash pad, dog parks, multipurpose sport fields and lighted pickleball courts.
The park will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The splash pad will open April 15, 2021.
You can find more information at www.peoriaaz.gov/paloma.
SRP extends disconnect moratorium for some customers until January
Salt River Project, one of Arizona's utility companies, announced Tuesday that it will extend its disconnect moratorium for some customers until early January.
The company first announced the moratorium for customers on its limited income program, the Economy Price Plan, in March before extending it in July.
SRP will also automatically place other customers with $80 or more of debt on eight-month payment plans starting in October.
SRP will resume disconnects for other customers who have not paid their bills on Oct. 1.
Navajo Nation extends weekend lockdown
The Navajo Nation is implementing a stricter weekend lockdown as it looks into new clusters of coronavirus cases.
Residents of the vast reservation that extends into New Mexico, Arizona and Utah will be required to stay home from Friday evening until early Monday morning.
A previous lockdown was a day shorter.
Tribal President Jonathan Nez says the tribe is investigating new cases that resulted from family gatherings around Ganado, Arizona, and on the eastern side of the reservation in New Mexico.
A new public health order with the extended lockdown was issued Tuesday.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Free drive-thru COVID-19 testing to be held in Phoenix
Officials are continuing to make it easier than ever to get tested for COVID-19 with more drive-thru testing sites in Phoenix.
Rapid Reliable Testing partnered with the city of Phoenix to provide COVID-19 testing with no out-of-pocket costs.
Drive-thru testing sites will be available at Los Olivos Park. You can pre-register online or register on-site.
The team said it expects to administer 700 tests a day.
It'll be available from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. through Friday.
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 Wednesday
There have been 215,284 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,525 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.
That is an increase from 214,846 cases and 5,498 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Tuesday.
There were 438 new cases reported on Wednesday, a decrease from the 595 reported on Tuesday.
There were 27 deaths reported on Wednesday, an increase from the 20 reported on Tuesday.
There were 5,477 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 98 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 12,768 new tests were reported on Wednesday, an increase from the 10,226 new tests reported on Tuesday.
There have been a total of 1,693,411 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Wednesday.
10.6% of those tests have been positive as of Wednesday, down from 10.7% on Tuesday.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 140,409
- Pima: 25,004
- Pinal: 10,422
- Coconino: 3,819
- Navajo: 5,763
- Apache: 3,476
- Mohave: 3,930
- La Paz: 536
- Yuma: 12,609
- Graham: 808
- Cochise: 1,886
- Santa Cruz: 2,823
- Yavapai: 2,495
- Gila: 1,245
- Greenlee: 58
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.
