10,526 confirmed cases; death total rises to 517

The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 67 new COVID-19 deaths on Friday, marking a significant increase in new deaths reported from days prior, although many did not occur this week, officials said. The state reported 88 deaths over the prior three days.

The total number of COVID-19 deaths stood at 517 as of Friday.

Of the 67 new deaths reported Friday, 35 occurred in previous weeks as early as April 12, and are just being added to the system now, agency director Dr. Cara Christ said, in a blog post on the department site on Friday. She did not specify how recently the other 32 of the newly reported deaths occurred.

The number of new deaths reported each day represents the additional known deaths identified by the health department that day, but they are often not identified on the actual death date, and could have occurred weeks prior.

According to the department’s data, the dates with the most deaths in a single day so far are April 19 and April 20, with 21 deaths each.

Arizona’s total identified cases rose to 10,526, according to the most recent state figures. That’s an increase of 581 confirmed cases, or 5.8%, since Thursday when the state reported 9,945 identified cases and 450 deaths. The number of confirmed cases reported each day has steadily been rising this week as more testing has taken place.

Maricopa County’s confirmed cases exceed 5,500, according to state numbers. All of Arizona’s 15 counties have reported cases.

The number of Arizona cases likely is higher than official numbers because of limits on supplies and available tests. The state announced on April 23 that anyone who thinks they could be infected can now get tested.

The state planned to provide numbers of recovered cases for the first time on Monday. As of Friday morning, that data was not yet available.

The latest Arizona data

As of Friday morning, the state reported death totals from these counties: 238 in Maricopa, 131 in Pima, 55 in Coconino, 35 in Navajo, 20 in Mohave, 19 in Pinal, 10 in Apache and four in Yavapai.

La Paz County reported two deaths and Yuma County reported one death as of Thursday. Information on deaths in those counties, as well as Gila and Cochise counties, differed on the state site on Friday, showing fewer than three deaths for each of the four counties.

Greenlee, Graham and Santa Cruz counties each reported no deaths as of Friday, according to state data.

Yuma County on Thursday reported a child died from COVID-19-related illness. The child had “multiple serious underlying medical conditions,” Yuma County said in a news release. The county said it was the state’s first pediatric death associated with COVID-19.

Overall, Arizona has 146.4 cases and 7.19 deaths per 100,000 residents, according to state data. The situation differs by county, with Maricopa having 126.5 cases and 5.45 deaths per 100,000 residents and Coconino having 447.5 cases and 37.35 deaths per 100,000 residents, for example. Navajo County has 837.6 cases and 31.02 deaths per 100,000 residents.

Cases rise in other counties

According to Friday’s state update, Pima County reported 1,520 identified cases. Navajo County reported 945 cases, while Apache County reported 671, Coconino County reported 618, Pinal County reported 566, Mohave County reported 171, Yavapai County reported 170 (county officials previously reported 172) and Yuma County reported 159.

Cochise County reported 41 cases, Santa Cruz County reported 38, La Paz County reported 22 (county officials previously reported 23), Gila County reported 19, Graham County reported 18 and Greenlee County reported two, according to state numbers.

All counties but Santa Cruz, Graham and Greenlee saw an increase in case numbers from Thursday.

The Navajo Nation had 2,757 identified cases and 88 confirmed deaths as of Thursday evening. Of the 2,757 cases, 1,600 are in counties in Arizona. The Navajo Nation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.