State reports 50 new virus deaths and 723 new cases

Arizona reported 50 new known deaths and 723 additional COVID-19 cases Thursday as hospitals continue to report gradually fewer patients hospitalized for the disease.

Inpatient hospitalizations, ICU beds in use, ventilators in use and ER visits for COVID-19 have all been on general downward trends over about the past five weeks, according to hospital data reported to the state.

Identified cases rose to 196,280 and known deaths totaled 4,684, according to the daily report by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Thursday’s dashboard shows 83% of inpatient beds and 78% of ICU beds in use, which includes people being treated for COVID-19 and other patients. COVID-19 patients are using 13% of all inpatient beds and 23% of ICU beds. Overall, 31% of ventilators were in use.

Of known test results from last week, 6% have come back positive, according to the state, which has a unique way of calculating percent positivity. Johns Hopkins University calculates Arizona’s seven-day moving average of percent positives at 9.1% and shows it is trending downward.

More to know

County cases: 130,800 in Maricopa, 20,139 in Pima, 11,964 in Yuma, 9,065 in Pinal, 5,477 in Navajo, 3,454 in Mohave, 3,277 in Apache, 3,213 in Coconino, 2,711 in Santa Cruz, 2,197 in Yavapai, 1,775 in Cochise, 1,033 in Gila, 624 in Graham, 494 in La Paz and 57 in Greenlee, according to state numbers.

The Navajo Nation reported 9,500 cases and 484 confirmed deaths as of Wednesday.

County deaths: 2,739 in Maricopa, 534 in Pima, 299 in Yuma, 213 in Navajo, 191 in Mohave, 176 in Pinal, 145 in Apache, 121 in Coconino, 76 in Yavapai, 57 in Cochise, 55 in Santa Cruz, 42 in Gila, 21 in Graham, 13 in La Paz and fewer than three in Greenlee.