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 Wednesday, Jan. 20.
Major updates:
- There have been 690,544 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 11,528 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Wednesday.
- 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.
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Wednesday
There have been 690,544 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 11,528 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state's latest numbers.
That's an increase from the 685,699 confirmed cases and 11,266 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Tuesday.
A week ago, there were 641,729 cases and 10,673 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 20 de enero: 4,845 nuevos casos, 262 muertes se reportan el miércoles
4,845 new cases, 262 new deaths reported Wednesday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 4,845 new cases and 262 new deaths on Wednesday.
The department said 193 of those deaths were included from death certificate matching.
Arizona has administered 319,984 to 270,127 individuals on Wednesday, including 44,004 who have received both doses, ADHS said.
The department said all the vaccine appointments for February are booked at both state-run sites. It was not immediately known when appointments for March would be made available.
Hospitalizations continued to trend downward for a ninth day.
Officials say 4,663 were hospitalized due to COVID-19 on Tuesday. Within that group, 1,050 are in the ICU.
The number of infections in Arizona is thought to be far higher than reported because many have not been tested.
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 11,000 coronavirus deaths on Jan. 15, 10,000 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 1.04 on Monday, down from 1.05 on Saturday but still among only about a dozen states with an Rt greater than 1.
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.
There were 11,736 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 11,417 cases. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of deaths was Dec. 17, when 126 people died. The day with the second-most deaths was Dec. 18, when 122 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 medical expert answers your COVID-19 questions
Dr. Frank LoVecchio with Valleywise Health Medical Center answered your questions about COVID-19 on #TodayInAZ this morning.
You can find all his past question-and-answer segments at 12News.com/YouTube.
Wednesday marks one year since COVID-19 was first reported in US
Wednesday marks one year since COVID-19 was first reported in the U.S. It was first reported in Arizona shortly after.
Maricopa County Superior Court clerk rehospitalized
Jeff Fine, the elected Clerk of the Superior Court in Maricopa County, developed a case of bacterial pneumonia after spending time recovering from COVID-19.
Bacterial pneumonia is a complication which can occur as the lungs recover from acute disease.
He was re-admitted to Banner Boswell Hospital to undergo treatment for pneumonia.
He is responding well and expects to soon return home to continue his recovery.
Mormon leaders urge members to get COVID-19 vaccine
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints urged its members to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it’s their turn, while announcing Tuesday that eight top leaders and most of their wives received their first doses.
Ninety-six-year-old church President Russell M. Nelson and the others are over the age of 70.
They received the shots in Utah, where the state’s plan has shifted to getting seniors vaccinated after first delivering shots to health care workers and first responders.
The faith said in a news release Tuesday that people must make their own decisions, but encouraged members to get vaccinated.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Navajo Nation reports 45 new COVID-19 cases, but no deaths
Officials on the Navajo Nation on Tuesday reported 45 new COVID-19 cases, but no deaths.
The latest figures released bring the total reported coronavirus cases on the reservation to 26,517 with 922 known deaths.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in a statement that while people are getting vaccinated, it’s crucial to keep in mind that another variant of the virus has been found in nearby regions.
Nez says residents still need to remain vigilant and practice health safety measures like staying home.
Residents of the vast reservation are still under a stay-at-home order Friday through Monday morning.
On Tuesday, the Navajo Department of Health identified 75 communities with uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 from Jan. 1-14.
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:
- Submit a complaint online at www.azhealth.gov/complianceCOVID19
- Calling the COVID-19 Compliance Hotline at 1-844-410-2157
“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.
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 Wednesday
There have been 690,544 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 11,528 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.
That's an increase from the 685,699 confirmed cases and 11,266 coronavirus-related deaths reported on Tuesday.
There were 4,845 new cases reported on Wednesday, a decrease from the 6,417 new cases reported on Tuesday.
There was 262 new deaths reported on Wednesday, an increase from the one new death reported on Tuesday.
There were 11,736 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 11,417 cases. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of deaths was Dec. 17, when 126 people died. The day with the second-most deaths was Dec. 18, when 122 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 18,037 new tests were reported on Wednesday, an increase from the 13,222 new tests reported on Tuesday.
There have been a total of 3,662,053 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Wednesday.
13.8% of those tests have been positive as of Wednesday, the same since Monday.
Here's a breakdown of the number of cases in each county:
- Maricopa: 428,624
- Pima: 92,519
- Pinal: 37,762
- Coconino: 14,224
- Navajo: 13,624
- Apache: 8,727
- Mohave: 16,979
- La Paz: 2,066
- Yuma: 33,567
- Graham: 4,493
- Cochise: 9,750
- Santa Cruz: 7,134
- Yavapai: 15,106
- Gila: 5,474
- Greenlee: 495
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.
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.
