Coronavirus in Arizona – Latest case numbers from 01/01/21
Renee Nelson of FOX 10 analyzes the latest data on the coronavirus while the health services department reported more than 10,000 new cases and more than 150 additional deaths on Friday.
PHOENIX (AP) – On the second day of the new year, Arizona reported nearly 8,900 additional cases of COVID-19, giving the state a two-day pandemic peak for new cases.
In addition to the 10,060 cases reported on Friday, the 8,883 cases reported on Saturday produced a total of two days of 18,943. The state’s previous two-day high was 17,649 on December 13 and 14.
The overall case count across the state since the pandemic began is now 539,150.
Arizona also recorded 46 deaths on Saturday, bringing the pandemic total to 9,061.
The number of infections is believed to be much higher than reported because many people have not been tested and studies suggest that people can be infected with the virus without feeling bad.
Arizona had the second worst diagnosis rate for COVID-19 last week, behind only California. The diagnostic rate is calculated by dividing the state’s population by the number of new cases in the previous week.
Coronavirus in Arizona: Latest case numbers
Hospital occupancy increased in December due to the outbreak, and hospitals across the state remain almost full, with only 7% of all hospital beds available and not in use, according to the state’s coronavirus panel.
There were 4,484 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Friday, below the high pandemic record of 4,564 on Wednesday, according to the panel.
COVID-19 patients were in three out of five intensive care beds across the state and about half of all hospital beds.
The crushing of COVID-19 patients has caused some hospitals in the metropolitan areas of Phoenix and Tucson to suspend elective surgery and some have resorted to refusing patients transported by ambulance or transferred from other hospitals, although they still accept patients who need emergency care.
Hospital officials also said that the COVID-19 crowd of patients could force the imposition of screening protocols that the state could order to help hospitals decide how to decide which patients have access to limited resources.
MAP: Arizona Coronavirus cases by postal code
TOTAL COVERAGE: fox10phoenix.com/coronavirus