(Photo AP)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information on the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond on February 5, 2021.
PHOENIX – Arizona health officials reported on Friday 3,826 new cases of coronavirus and 196 additional deaths from COVID-19.
The state’s documented totals reached 775,622 infections and 13,948 deaths, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 panel.
The virus remains widespread throughout the state, although the surge that made Arizona the center of attack in the country last month is slowing.
In Thursday’s update of the US Centers for Disease Control, Arizona fell to fourth place in the country on average per capita cases in the past seven days, behind Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina. fourth in deaths, behind Alabama, South Carolina and Iowa.
COVID-19 hospitalizations are now lower than at the July peak of the state’s first wave, but the cases and deaths are even greater.
The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients in Arizona dropped to 3,167 on Thursday, the lowest since December 8. The number of ICU beds used by patients with COVID-19 has dropped to 909, the second lowest since December 21.
Across the state, patients with COVID-19 occupied 37% of all hospital beds and 51% of all ICU beds on Thursday. In general, hospital beds were at 90% of capacity and ICU beds at 87%.
Arizona’s weekly positivity percentage for the COVID-19 diagnostic test, an indicator of how much the virus is spreading in the community, has declined, but remains at a substantial level.
Of the 29,430 people tested so far this week, 14% have received a positive result. The positive rate recorded last week is 16% for 125,908 people tested, the lowest since before Thanksgiving and the fourth consecutive weekly drop.
Official positivity rates are based on when samples are taken, 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 4,080.57 on Thursday, according to tracking by The Associated Press, the lowest mark since November 30, but even higher than the July peak of the first wave.
The seven-day average of recently reported deaths remained the same as the previous day at 133.29.
Daily state updates show case, death, and test data 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 100 hospitals across the state, as required by the 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 in 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.
The department also has a vaccine location page with a location map and registration information.
Below are Friday’s latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic across the state, country and world:
- The Senate on Friday passed a budget resolution that is an important step towards swift approval of President Joe Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaker vote.