(Photo from the University of Arizona)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information on the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond, on February 19, 2021.
PHOENIX – Arizona officials on Friday reported 1,918 new cases of coronavirus and 145 additional deaths from COVID-19.
The state’s updated documented totals were 804,116 coronavirus infections and 15,421 deaths, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 panel.
After reaching record levels in the first part of January, the numbers of cases and hospitalizations dropped to pre-Thanksgiving levels in Arizona.
The new case report remained below 2,000 for seven consecutive days, the longest series since the beginning of November.
The number of confirmed or suspected inpatients with COVID-19 in state hospitals dropped to 1,738 on Thursday, the lowest since November 17. The number of ICU beds used by patients with COVID-19 has dropped to 563, the lowest since November 27.
Arizona’s weekly positivity percentage for the COVID-19 diagnostic test, an indicator of how much the virus is spreading in the community, has been declining since the beginning of the year.
Of the 33,204 people tested so far this week, 10% have received a positive result. The rate was 9% for 91,960 people tested last week, the lowest positive percentage since October.
Official positivity rates are based on when samples are collected, not when they are reported, so the percentage of the past few weeks may fluctuate as laboratories update tests and results are documented by the state.
The seven-day average for new coronavirus cases notified by the state health department was 1,584.57 on Thursday, according to the Associated Press tracking, the lowest mark since November 6.
The seven-day average of recently reported deaths rose to 87.71, still less than half the pandemic record seen a month ago.
In Thursday’s update to the United States’ Center for Disease Control, Arizona was the fourth country in COVID-19 deaths per capita in the past seven days and 19th in cases. Arizona led the United States in both categories in January.
Daily updates from the Arizona Department of Health present data on cases, deaths and tests after the state receives the statistics and confirms them, which can take several days or more. They do not represent actual activity in the past 24 hours.
Hospitalization data published every morning is reported electronically the night before by hospitals across the state, as required by executive order.
COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has no impact on some people and is severely debilitating or fatal for others. Infected people without symptoms – which include, but are not limited to, cough, fever and difficulty breathing – are able to spread the virus.
The diagnostic test is available at hundreds of locations across Arizona and should be sought out by anyone with symptoms or who may have been exposed to an infected person. Information on locations, times and registration can be found on the Department of Health Services website.
For information on vaccine availability across the state, the ADHS website has a vaccine location page with a map of locations and registration information.
Below are Friday’s latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic across the state, country and world:
- The Navajo Nation reported 48 new cases of coronavirus and 11 additional deaths, bringing the documented total to 29,464 infections – including 30 delayed cases – and 1,138 deaths.
- Arizona’s top public health official does not expect this week’s weather delays to have a significant impact on vaccination progress in the state.
- Honeywell has committed to a long-term lease on a site of more than 150,000 square feet in western Chandler, where it will produce N95 masks and other PPE for health care and government use.
- Banner Health, Arizona’s largest hospital system, eased restrictions on visitors as coronavirus metrics in the state continue to improve.
- Arizona officials said the state is allocating $ 100 million of federal funds to county health departments to support COVID-19 tests and other mitigation efforts.
- The Arizona Department of Health Services reported that 1,387,118 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the state, 47,289 more than a day earlier.
- Maricopa County will soon close two of its COVID-19 vaccine sites, with officials saying that PODs were never intended to be the complete distribution strategy.
- Globally, there were about 110.43 million cases of COVID-19 and 2.44 million deaths on Friday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University research. The figures for the US were around 27.9 million cases and 493,000 deaths.