Arizona reports 262 more virus cases, fewest since Sept.

PHOENIX — Arizona on Saturday reported 27 more COVID19 deaths and 262 additional confirmed cases, the fewest cases reported on one day since last September during the trough between last summer’s surge and the worse one over the fall and winter.

The latest figures increased the state’s pandemic totals to 823,094 cases and 16,546 deaths, while the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped to 814, down from the Jan. 11 pandemic peak of 5,082, according to the state’s coronavirus dashboard.

The state also reported fewer than 1,000 additional cases on three of the previous six days while data from Johns Hopkins University indicated that seven-day rolling averages of daily new cases and daily deaths declined over the past two weeks. The rolling average of new cases declined from 1,487.4 on Feb. 25 to 1,206.9 on Thursday while the rolling average of daily deaths declined from 79.8 to 42 over the same period.

The number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

While the overall outbreak continued to slow, the state Department of Health Services announced late Friday that three cases were discovered in Arizona of a fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus that was first discovered in Brazil.

It’s unclear how widespread that variant is in Arizona, but studies indicate the vaccine is effective against it, the department said in a news release.

Also Friday, Gov. Doug Ducey said Arizona can meet President Joe Biden’s goal to offer vaccinations to everyone who wants one by May as long as the federal government supplies enough vaccines.

“If we have the supply we certainly have the infrastructure,” Ducey told Phoenix radio station KTAR-FM.