Arizona reports over 2,600 new COVID-19 cases and 38 deaths
Arizona reported more than 2,600 new COVID-19 cases and 38 new known deaths on Saturday as cases spiked nationwide.
Saturday’s new reported cases marks the highest daily report in Arizona since Aug. 1. The U.S. for the past three days tallied more than 100,000 daily new cases for the first time since the pandemic began.
Identified COVID-19 cases in Arizona rose by 2,620 on Saturday to 257,384 and known deaths were at 6,147, according to the daily report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. New cases have eclipsed 1,000 for 11 of the past 14 days.
The number of patients hospitalized statewide for known or suspected COVID-19 cases was at 1,139 on Friday, which was the highest number reported since Aug. 18. At the peak of Arizona’s surge in July, the number of hospitalized patients suspected or confirmed to have the virus exceeded 3,000.
The number of patients with suspected or known COVID-19 in intensive care units across Arizona was at 249 on Friday, down slightly from 250 on Thursday. The level is far below what it was in July, when ICU beds in use for COVID-19 reached 970.
The number of Arizonans with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 on ventilators was at 137 on Friday, down from 138 on Thursday, which was the most ventilators in use in a single day since Sept. 3. In mid-July, as many as 687 patients across the state with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 were on ventilators.
Friday’s dashboard shows 87% of inpatient beds and 86% of ICU beds in use, which includes people being treated for COVID-19 and other patients. COVID-19 patients were using 13% of all inpatient beds and 15% of ICU beds. Overall, 30% of ventilators were in use.
What you need to know
Reported cases in Arizona: 257,384 Cases increased by 2,620, or 1.03%, from Friday’s 254,764 identified cases since the outbreak began.
Cases by county: 165,702 in Maricopa, 30,066 in Pima, 14,377 in Yuma, 12,768 in Pinal, 6,784 in Navajo, 5,773 in Coconino, 4,722 in Mohave, 4,127 in Apache, 3,276 in Yavapai, 3,110 in Santa Cruz, 2,381 in Cochise, 2,142 in Gila, 1,408 in Graham, 639 in La Paz and 109 in Greenlee, according to state numbers.
The rate of cases per 100,000 people is highest in Yuma County, followed by Navajo, Santa Cruz and Apache counties. The rate in Yuma County is 6,252 cases per 100,000 people. By comparison, the U.S. average rate is 2,895 cases per 100,000 people, according to the CDC.
The Navajo Nation reported 12,288 cases and 591 confirmed deaths as of Friday. The Navajo Nation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Friday night was the beginning a 56hour weekend curfew that goes through 5 a.m. Monday due to what Navajo leaders say is uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in 29 communities.
“The increase in the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in certain communities is largely due to travel off the Navajo Nation and family gatherings,” Navajo Nation president Jonathan Nez and vice president Myron Lizer posted on their Facebook page Friday evening.
The Arizona Department of Corrections said 2,650 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday, including 999 in Tucson; 41,196 inmates statewide have been tested. A total of 818 prison staff members have self-reported testing positive, the state corrections department said. Nineteen incarcerated people in Arizona have been confirmed to have died of COVID-19, with nine additional deaths under investigation.
Arizona as of Friday had the 16th highest overall rate of infection in the country. Ahead of Arizona in cases per 100,000 people since the pandemic began are North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Idaho, Utah, Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina and Illinois, according to the CDC.
Arizona’s infection rate is 3,524 cases per 100,000 people, the CDC said. The national average is 2,895 cases per 100,000 people.