State sets records for hospital beds in use

Key measures of hospital stress rose again on Tuesday as Arizona reported 4,273 new COVID-19 cases and 92 additional known deaths.

Inpatient hospitalizations, ICU beds in use and ventilators in use by suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients each hit new records, according to Monday’s hospital data reported to the state.

But the number of visits to emergency rooms by suspected and confirmed patients has dropped for six straight days, with 1,553 visits reported Monday compared with 2,008 on July 7, the record high day.

Identified cases rose to 128,097 and known deaths total 2,337, according to the daily report by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Tuesday’s dashboard shows 85% of current inpatient beds and 88% of ICU beds were in use, which includes people being treated for COVID-19 and other patients. Overall, 52% of ventilators were in use.

Most people who get the disease are not hospitalized. The state does not report the number of recovered cases, although it does report hospital discharges.

The 92 additional known deaths reported on Tuesday represent the new deaths identified by the Health Department that day, but deaths could have occurred weeks prior and on different days.

Arizona remains one of the worst hot spots in the nation for COVID-19. Health officials caution people to stay home unless necessary to leave and to wear masks in public.

Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday’s new numbers.

Reported cases in Arizona: 128,097

Cases increased by 4,273, or 3.5%, from Monday’s 123,824 identified cases since the outbreak began.

County cases: 84,233 in Maricopa, 12,114 in Pima, 8,629 in Yuma, 5,945 in Pinal, 4,482 in Navajo, 2,611 in Apache, 2,523 in Coconino, 2,208 in Santa Cruz, 1,937 in Mohave, 1,189 in Yavapai, 1,095 in Cochise, 468 in Gila, 412 in La Paz, 218 in Graham and 33 in Greenlee, according to state numbers.

The state’s total case count includes individuals who tested positive on a diagnostic PCR test as well as individuals who tested positive on an antibody test who had COVID-19 symptoms or were linked to a known case. Of the cases, 99% are individuals with a positive diagnostic test, according to the state health department.

The rate of cases per 100,000 people is highest in Santa Cruz County, followed by Navajo, Yuma and Apache counties.

The Navajo Nation reported 8,243 cases and 401 confirmed deaths as of Monday. The Navajo Reservation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

The Arizona Department of Corrections said 557 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday; 4,455 inmates have been tested out of a population of nearly 39,800. Five incarcerated people have been confirmed to have died of COVID-19, with eight additional deaths under investigation.

While race/ethnicity is unknown for 49% of cases, 23% of cases are Hispanic or Latino, 16% of cases are white, 6% are Native American and 2% are Black.

Laboratories have completed 721,191 diagnostic tests for COVID-19, 14.2% of which have come back positive. The percent of positive tests has increased in the past month. It was 18% for tests that have come back so far from last week, and 21% from the two weeks prior.

Reported deaths: 2,337

On Tuesday, 92 new deaths were reported, although many likely occurred on previous days or weeks.

County deaths: 1,198 in Maricopa, 338 in Pima, 159 in Yuma, 145 in Navajo, 104 in Apache, 102 in Coconino, 99 in Mohave, 88 in Pinal, 31 in Santa Cruz, 27 in Cochise, 21 in Yavapai, 15 in Gila, seven in La Paz and fewer than three in Graham and Greenlee.

People aged 65 and older made up 1,711 of the 2,337 deaths, or 73%.

While race/ethnicity is unknown for 14% of deaths, 40% of those who died were white, 25% were Hispanic or Latino, 15% were Native American and 3% were Black.