| Arizona Republic
Arizona has surpassed 10,000 known deaths and 600,000 cases of COVID-19, as the state is once again the country’s worst for new cases.
The nearly 100 new known deaths reported by the state on Saturday brought the COVID-19 known death count to 10,036.
The state’s new seven-day average of cases was again the highest in the country after coming in second on Friday. Prior to that, Arizona ranked first for three consecutive days, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID Data Tracker.
Arizona’s rate of new positive cases in the past seven days was 126.4 cases per 100,000 people, according to the CDC. The US average for new cases is 68.7 cases per 100,000 people.
The state registered more than 17,200 new cases on Sunday, the highest number of new COVID-19 cases recorded in a single day since the pandemic began, surpassing the state’s previous record of December 8 in almost 5,000 cases. The record follows the Christmas and New Year holiday weekends.
The state data panel shows 92% of all ICU beds and 93% of all hospital beds in Arizona were in use on Thursday, with 54% of ICU beds and 57% of non-ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. Across the state, there were 138 ICU beds and 633 non-ICU beds available.
Hospitals are experiencing a “sudden increase”, with signs of worsening in the coming weeks.
The number of patients hospitalized in Arizona for known or suspected cases of COVID-19 was 4,918 on Friday, slightly below the record of 4,920 on Wednesday. In comparison, the highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in a single day during the summer peak was 3,517 on July 13.
The number of patients with suspected or known COVID-19 in ICUs across Arizona was 1,121 on Friday, down from Thursday’s 1,122 record. During the summer peak in mid-July, the ICU beds in use for COVID-19 peaked at 970.
Arizonans with confirmed and suspicious COVID-19 on ventilators registered 791 on Friday, below Thursday’s 799 record. During the summer peak, July 16 was the peak day for ventilator use with 687 patients.
Thursday saw 2,109 emergency calls for COVID-19, below the December 29, single day record of 2,341 positive or suspected COVID-19 patients seen in emergency departments across the state.
New cases in Arizona exceeded 5,000 in 26 of the past 31 days. Public health experts expect the virus to spread further because of personal contact during the holiday.
The 11,094 new cases on Saturday brought the total number of COVID-19 cases identified in the state to 607,345. There were 98 additional deaths reported on Saturday, bringing the known total of Arizonans who died of the disease to 10,036, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services data panel.
The percentage of positivity, which refers to the percentage of positive COVID-19 diagnostic tests, has generally increased, which many health experts see as an early indicator of an increase in disease.
Arizona’s rate of positivity also continues to rise. Last week, it was 25%. In the previous week, it was 20%, according to the state, which has a unique way of calculating the percentage of positivity. The percentage positivity was 4% for several weeks during August, September and October, according to state data.
Johns Hopkins University estimates Arizona’s seven-day moving average to be 20.2% on Saturday. It shows that the percentage positivity of the state peaked at 24.2% last month.
A positivity rate of 5% is considered a good reference that the spread of the disease is under control.
Arizona started its first COVID-19 vaccinations for Phase 1A in the week of December 14, but the process has progressed slowly. Health professionals, first responders, long-term care residents and other vulnerable populations will be prioritized in the early stages, as will teachers, according to Governor Doug Ducey. He said the vaccine will be free for anyone who needs it, once it is widely available.
What to know about Saturday numbers
Cases reported in Arizona: 607,345.
Cases since the outbreak began increased by 11,094, or 1.86%, compared to the 596,251 cases identified on Friday. These daily cases are grouped by the date they are reported to the Arizona Department of Health Services, not the date the tests were administered.
Cases by county: 374,740 in Maricopa, 80,642 in Pima, 32,960 in Pinal, 30,847 in Yuma, 15,027 in Mohave, 13,293 in Yavapai, 12,610 in Coconino, 12,370 in Navajo, 8,737 in Cochise, 8,201 in Apache, 6,620 in Santa Cruz, 5.006 in Gila, 4,012 in Graham, 1,821 in La Paz and 459 in Greenlee, according to state figures.
The case rate per 100,000 people is highest in Yuma County, followed by Santa Cruz, Apache and Navajo counties. The rate in Yuma County is 13,414 cases per 100,000 people. By comparison, the average US rate on Friday was 6,488 cases per 100,000 people, according to the CDC.
The Navajo Nation reported 24,776 cases and 866 confirmed deaths in total by Friday. The Navajo Nation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Tribal leaders implemented a stay-at-home block and reinstated curfews over the weekend due to what officials called COVID-19’s “uncontrolled spread” in the tribe’s communities.
The Arizona Department of Corrections reported that 7,823 prisoners tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, including 1,571 in Tucson, 1,530 in Yuma, 1,272 in Eyman and 911 in Douglas; 43,055 inmates across the state were tested. A total of 2,007 prison staff reported positive test results, the department said. Twenty-six people jailed in Arizona have been confirmed as dead from COVID-19, with an additional 15 deaths under investigation.
Race / ethnicity is unknown to 23% of all COVID-19 cases across the state, but 34% of people are white, 29% are Hispanic or Latino, 5% are Native American, 3% are black and 1% are Asiatic / Pacific Islands.
Of those who tested positive in Arizona since the pandemic began, 15% were under 20 years old, 45% were 20-44 years old, 15% were 45-54 years old, 12% were 55-64 years old and 13% were over 65 years old years.
The labs completed 3,044,506 diagnostic tests on individuals unique to COVID-19, 13.7% of whom tested positive. This number includes PCR and antigen testing. The percentage of positive tests has increased since mid-May, but began to decline in July and remained stable at around 4% for several weeks, by state. It was at 25% last week. State figures omit data from laboratories that they do not report electronically.
The Arizona Department of Health Services has begun to include probable cases like anyone with a positive antigen test, another type of test to determine the current infection. Antigen tests (unrelated to antibody tests) are a newer type of COVID-19 diagnostic test that uses a nasal swab or other fluid sample to test the current infection. Results are usually produced in 15 minutes.
A positive antigen test result is considered very accurate, but there is a greater chance of false negative results, says the Mayo Clinic. Depending on the situation, Mayo Clinic officials say a doctor may recommend a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to confirm a negative result on the antigen test.
Arizona on Friday had the 14th highest overall case rate in the country since January 21. Leading Arizona in cases per 100,000 people since the start of the pandemic are North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Utah, Iowa, Rhode Island, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Idaho, Arkansas, Kansas and Indiana, according to CDC.
Arizona’s infection rate is 8,032 cases per 100,000 people, the CDC said. The national average is 6,488 cases per 100,000 people, although rates in states hardest hit at the start of the pandemic may be underestimated due to the lack of tests available in March and April.
Reported deaths in Arizona: 10,036
Deaths by county: 5,767 in Maricopa, 1,219 in Pima, 573 in Yuma, 417 in Pinal, 389 in Mohave, 372 in Navajo, 275 in Yavapai, 259 in Apache, 233 in Coconino, 164 in Cochise, 154 in Gila, 116 in Santa Cruz, 55 in Graham, 39 in La Paz and four in Greenlee.
People aged 65 and over accounted for 7,445 of 10,036 deaths, or 74%. Then, 15% of deaths occurred in the 55 to 64 age group, 6% in the 45 to 54 age group and 5% in the 20 to 44 age group.
While race / ethnicity is unknown for 9% of deaths, 47% of those who died whose race / ethnicity was known were white, 28% were Hispanic or Latino, 9% were Native American, 3% were black and 1% were Asian / Pacific Islander, show state data.
The global death toll on Saturday morning was 1,916,091 and the United States had the highest death count of any country in the world, 368,947, according to Johns Hopkins University. Arizona’s total 10,036 deaths represent 2.7% of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. on Saturday.
The COVID-19 mortality rate in Arizona was 133 per 100,000 people on Friday, according to the CDC, placing it 13th in the country in a state ranking that separates New York City from New York State . The US average is 109 deaths per 100,000 people, said the CDC.
New York City has the highest death rate, with 302 deaths per 100,000 people. After that comes New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Dakota, Connecticut, South Dakota, Mississippi, Louisiana, Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Talk to the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-8529. Follow her on twitter @brieannafrank.
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