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Coronavirus in Arizona on Jan. 12: 8,559 new cases, record-high 335 new deaths reported Tuesday

There have been 636,100 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 10,482 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Tuesday.

PHOENIX — Editor's note: Here is the live blog for Jan. 13.

In an effort to track the changes with the coronavirus outbreak in Arizona, 12 News has started a daily live blog.

Here is the live blog for Tuesday, Jan. 12.

Major updates: 

  • There have been 636,100 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 10,482 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Tuesday.
  • The state does not record how many people have recovered, but Johns Hopkins University estimates the number of people who have recovered.
  • You can find COVID-19 testing sites here.
  • Go to 12News.com/Vaccine to find more information on the COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.

RELATED: 118% increase in reported Arizona COVID-19 deaths in past 2 weeks, graphs show

COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Tuesday

There have been 636,100 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 10,482 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state's latest numbers.

That's an increase from the 627,541 confirmed cases and 10,147 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Monday.

A week ago, there were 567,474 cases and 9,317 deaths reported in Arizona.

LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 12 de enero: 8,559 nuevos casos, 335 muertes se reportan el martes

8,559 new cases, 335 new deaths reported Tuesday

The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 8,559 new cases and 335 new deaths on Tuesday.

Tuesday had the highest number of deaths reported by the department on a single day.

But a majority of the deaths reported on Tuesday were from death certificate matching, the department said.

With its health care system struggling to cope, the state had a record 5,082 COVID-19 patients occupying inpatient beds as of Monday, including a record 1,183 in intensive care beds. 

COVID-19 patients occupied 66% of all intensive care beds statewide and 59% of all inpatient beds.

The department said 165,531 Arizonans have been vaccinated as of Tuesday. Maricopa County said 87,892 people had been vaccinated as of Tuesday.

Arizona’s cases, deaths and hospitalizations have been steadily rising before Thanksgiving, when gatherings and travel were expected to further spread the coronavirus.

The department reports the number of new cases on the day the cases were reported to them by counties and hospitals, not on the day when someone was diagnosed with the virus.

Arizona reached 600,000 coronavirus cases on Jan. 9, 500,000 on Dec. 28, 400,000 on Dec. 12, 300,000 on Nov. 23, 200,000 on Aug. 27, 100,000 on July 6 and 50,000 cases on June 21. 

The state reached 10,000 coronavirus deaths on Jan. 9, 9,000 on Jan. 1, 8,000 on Dec. 22, 7,000 on Dec. 9, 6,000 on Nov. 3, 5,000 on Aug. 29, 4,000 on Aug. 6, 3,000 deaths on July 23, 2,000 on July 9 and 1,000 on June 5.

Arizona's Rt, pronounced r-naught, was at 1.10 on Sunday, down from 1.13 on Saturday but still among the top 10 worst states in the nation.

The Rt is essentially a mathematical number that shows whether more people are becoming infected or less.

The concern is that any Rt over 1, no matter how small, means the virus may grow exponentially.

RELATED: This is the number that health officials are watching closely in the fight against COVID-19 (And you should too)

There were 11,324 cases reported on the collection date of Jan. 4, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. The day with the second-most collected diagnoses so far was on Dec. 28, with 11,306 cases. That is subject to change.

Health officials said the day with the highest number of deaths was Dec. 17, when 120 people died. The day with the second-most deaths was Dec. 18, when 117 people died. That is subject to change.

Health officials continued to stress that people should continue social distancing, wearing masks in public, and stay home when possible.

Arizona's top doctor discusses COVID-19 vaccine rollout expansion

Dr. Cara Christ with the Arizona Department of Health discusses the COVID-19 vaccine rollout expansion with Team 12's Matt Yurus.

Maricopa County runs into issues with COVID-19 vaccine rollout expansion

COVID-19 vaccinations opened up for Maricopa County residents in Phase 1B, but the first day didn't go so smoothly.

About 1,600 people have been vaccinated at State Farm Stadium, the Arizona Department of Health Services announced Tuesday. 

May Michols, a 78-year-old woman who was vaccinated Tuesday, said the process was nice, fast and smooth. 

“It was very easy for me. And I was upset because I thought it was going to be hard,” Michols said.

The state’s top doctor, Dr. Cara Christ, was on scene early Tuesday morning.

She said upwards of 200 cars were being served per hour. Plus, more 24/7 sites are expected.

“We’re hoping as we get more vaccines from our federal partners that we will be able to replicate this site at other sites around the state,” Christ said.

Team 12's Matt Yurus has the latest.

3 takeaways from Ducey's 2021 State of the State

Team 12's Jen Wahl has the three takeaways from Gov. Doug Ducey's State of the State address on Monday.

Arizona stadium opens as mass vaccination site as cases soar

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Arizona reached another high as the state ramps up its vaccine efforts.

That includes turning an NFL stadium into a round-the-clock mass vaccination site. 

The Arizona Department of Health Services ushered in the opening Monday of the drive-thru vaccination site at the Arizona Cardinals’ stadium in Glendale. 

Meanwhile, a record 4,997 people are hospitalized because of the coronavirus. 

More than 1,100 were in intensive care. 

Those numbers are significantly above what the state experienced during its last surge in July. 

Arizona has one of the worst diagnosis rates in the U.S. 

Health officials reported nearly 9,000 new COVID-19 cases and six more deaths on Monday.

The above article is from The Associated Press. 

RELATED: State Farm Stadium to become 24/7 COVID-19 vaccination site

Ducey says schools that lost enrollment should lose cash

Schools that have lost students during the pandemic would see their funding cut under a proposal Gov. Doug Ducey outlined in his annual state-of-the-state address.

The Republican governor warned schools that he expects them to offer in-person instruction as teachers gain access to the coronavirus vaccine. 

He says, “we will not be funding empty seats or allowing schools to remain in a perpetual state of closure.”

That could open up big holes in the budgets for schools, which the Department of Education says have seen enrollment decline by about 4%.

The above article is from The Associated Press. 

RELATED: Arizona superintendent fires back after Ducey says schools that lost enrollment should lose cash

Peoria Unified School District to hold class Tuesday

The Peoria Unified School District will hold classes Tuesday. 

The announcement comes one day after a staffing shortage caused 13 schools to be closed Monday because of staffing shortages related to "sick-out" calls.

The schools were Cactus, Centennial, Liberty, Ironwood, Peoria and Sunrise Mountain high schools and Country Meadows, Pioneer and Santa Fe elementary schools. 

RELATED: Peoria students to resume in-person and online classes on Tuesday

UArizona to serve as COVID-19 vaccine site

Residents in Pima County will be able to go to the University of Arizona campus to get COVID-19 vaccinations beginning Jan. 22.

The university will help vaccinate people in Phase 1B of the county's vaccine plan. 

That includes people 75 and older, education and child care providers and first responders.

UArizona to kick off 2021 spring semester on Wednesday

The University of Arizona will kick off its 2021 spring semester on Wednesday, but things will look a little different due to COVID-19.

Navajo Nation reports 154 new COVID-19 cases, but no deaths

Navajo Nation health officials on Monday reported 154 new COVID-19 cases, but no deaths.  

The latest figures increased the tribe’s totals since the pandemic began to 25,383 cases while the known death toll stayed at 871. 

Health officials say more than 216,000 people have been tested for COVID-19 on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. 

Nearly 13,000 have recovered. 

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. 

The tribe is continuing weekend lockdowns that run from Friday night to early Monday morning.

The above article is from The Associated Press. 

Arizona health department sets up hotline to report businesses

The Arizona Department of Health Services has set up two ways for people to report local businesses that are not following COVID-19 guidelines. 

People can report businesses through a hotline or through an online form:

“There’s a role for the public as well: If you believe a business isn’t following these requirements, which were established for the safety of customers, employees, and the broader public, ADHS encourages you to share your concerns so local and state officials can follow up as needed,” AZDHS said in a statement.

Free masks available for some Arizonans

The Arizona Department of Health Services announced that some Arizonans would be able to get free masks from the state.

The department partnered with Hanes to provide free face masks to Arizona’s most vulnerable populations.

Anyone who is part of a vulnerable population (including, but not limited to, individuals with medical conditions or individuals age 65 or older), a student (or parents on behalf of students), school staff member or who may not be able to purchase one is able to get a free mask.

Each other will provide five washable, reusable cloth face masks, one order per household. 

The department hopes to give out two million cloth face masks. 

Anyone with questions can visit the department's FAQs page or contact Hanes at 1-800-503-6698.

Sign up for the free masks here.

Arizona releases ZIP code locations of coronavirus cases, other data

The Arizona Department of Health Services has released expanded data points regarding coronavirus cases in the state. 

The AZDHS website now features the location of confirmed cases in Arizona by zip code. 

You can see the current ZIP code map here and can find yours by clicking around or searching for your ZIP code in the top right of the map.

More information on coronavirus cases from Tuesday

There have been 636,100 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 10,482 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.

That's an increase from the 627,541 confirmed cases and 10,147 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Monday.

There were 8,559 new cases reported on Tuesday, a decrease from the 8,995 new cases reported on Monday.

There were 335 new deaths reported on Tuesday, a record-high and an increase from the six new deaths reported on Monday. Most of those reported deaths on Tuesday were from death certificate matching.

There were 11,324 cases reported on the collection date of Jan. 4, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. The day with the second-most collected diagnoses so far was on Dec. 28, with 11,306 cases. That is subject to change.

Health officials said the day with the highest number of deaths was Dec. 17, when 120 people died. The day with the second-most deaths was Dec. 18, when 117 people died. That is subject to change.

In total, 18,617 new tests were reported on Tuesday, a decrease from the 22,628 new tests reported on Monday.

There have been a total of 3,515,355 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Tuesday. 

13.4% of those tests have been positive as of Tuesday, up from 13.3% on Monday.

Here's a breakdown of the number of cases in each county:

  • Maricopa: 393,732
  • Pima: 84,426
  • Pinal: 34,653
  • Coconino: 13,089
  • Navajo: 12,854
  • Apache: 8,355
  • Mohave: 15,790
  • La Paz: 1,885
  • Yuma: 31,658
  • Graham: 4,170
  • Cochise: 9,232
  • Santa Cruz: 6,790
  • Yavapai: 13,854
  • Gila: 5,147
  • Greenlee: 464

Click on the links below to find more information from each county's health department: 

COVID-19 is believed to be primarily spread through coughs or sneezes. 

It may be possible for the virus to spread by touching a surface or object with the virus and then a person touching their mouth, nose or eyes, but this is not thought to be the main method of spread, the CDC says. 

You should consult your doctor if you traveled to an area currently affected by COVID-19 and feel sick with fever, cough or difficulty breathing. 

There is no vaccine for the coronavirus, so the best way to prevent COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases is to:

  • Wear face coverings while in public.
  • Practice social distancing while in public.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

You can text FACTS to 602-444-1212 to receive more information on the coronavirus and to ask questions.

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