The number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Arizona continues to rise.
In an effort to track the changes, 12 News has started a daily live blog.
Here is the live blog for Thursday, July 23.
Major updates:
- There have been 152,944 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 3,063 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Thursday.
- The state does not record how many people have recovered, but Johns Hopkins University estimates the number of people who have recovered.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.
Closures for some businesses extended
Ducey ordered that gyms, bars, nightclubs, movie theaters and water parks stay closed past July 27.
Ducey’s previous executive order allowed a two-week extension to August 10.
Arizona has seen a spike in coronavirus cases since the end of the stay-at-home order.
The decision to close certain businesses was met by pushback from gyms and bar owners who sued Ducey and claimed that the decision to shut down their businesses is being done arbitrarily.
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Thursday
There have been 152,944 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 3,063 coronavirus-related deaths, according to the state's latest numbers.
That is an increase from 150,609 cases and 2,974 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Wednesday.
A week ago, there were 134,613 cases and 2,492 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 23 de julio: Se superan las 3,000 muertes, más de 2,000 casos nuevos el jueves
COVID-19 death toll in Arizona tops 3,000 on Thursday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported more than 2,300 new coronavirus cases and 89 new deaths on Thursday.
The state's death toll from COVID-19 reached 3,000 on Thursday. The state reached 2,000 coronavirus deaths on July 9 and 1,000 on June 5.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases topped 152,000 on Thursday, about two and a half weeks after reaching the 100,000 mark.
Arizona reached 50,000 coronavirus cases on June 21.
Arizona's Rt, pronounced r-naught, was at .97 on Thursday, the same as Wednesday.
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 5,418 cases reported on the collection date of June 29, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of reported deaths was July 7, when 77 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.
University of Arizona to start fall semester on Aug. 24
University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins said the fall semester will begin as scheduled on Aug. 24.
The semester will begin with a mix of in-person and remote instruction. More than half of all classes will include an in-person component, the university said.
"I know many of you are awaiting the answer to the question: Will the University of Arizona be open for in-person classes in the fall of 2020? The answer is yes," Robbins said during a virtual briefing on the campus reentry plan.
But Robbins said the campus will look different than it did before, with increased cleaning and sanitation, reduced class sizes, mandated face coverings and other safety measures and public health messaging.
Diagnostic and antibody testing will also be available for students and employees, Robbins said.
Navajo Nation cases grow by 45, six more deaths
The Navajo Department of Health reported 45 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and six more deaths.
The total number of COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation is 8,684.
The total number of deaths has reached 431 as of Wednesday.
Reports indicate that approximately 6,456 individuals have recovered from COVID-19.
75,177 people have been tested for COVID-19.
Arizona court backs eviction ban for people hurt in pandemic
An Arizona judge has upheld Gov. Doug Ducey’s moratorium on the evictions of people who have had trouble paying their rent after becoming ill or losing work because of the coronavirus.
The Maricopa County Superior Court judge disagreed Wednesday with a property management company’s argument that the governor’s action exceeded his authority or was unconstitutional.
Gregory Real Estate Management sued Ducey this month, asking the court to allow it to evict a family from a rental home in Surprise over unpaid rent, which the firm says has now reached $8,000.
Ducey recently extended the moratorium until Oct. 31 for people adversely affected by the pandemic.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Navajo Nation extends closure of government offices
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez signed an executive order Wednesday to keep parts of the tribal government closed through mid-August because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The executive branch had been scheduled to reopen July 27 but now will stay closed until Aug. 16.
Nez cited recent surges in coronavirus cases off the reservation.
Most tribal government offices have been closed to the public or restricted services since the first COVID-19 cases were reported in March.
On Wednesday, tribal lawmakers overturned the veto of a bill to cancel the tribe's primary election on Aug. 4.
Chapter officials instead will be elected by plurality vote in November.
The above article is from The Associated Press.
Volunteers for COVID-19 vaccine trial needed
A Valley research center is in need of volunteers from the Phoenix area to participate in a trial for a new coronavirus vaccine.
The Hope Research Institute in Phoenix is helping with research for a vaccine from the company Moderna. Three Valley clinics will participate.
The final stages of Moderna's vaccine trial is set to begin on July 27.
For more information on how to sign up go to the Hope Research Institute's website or visit the Facebook page.
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) 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 Thursday
There have been 152,944 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 3,063 coronavirus-related deaths.
That is an increase from 150,609 cases and 2,974 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Wednesday.
That's an increase of 2,335 new cases reported on Thursday, an increase from the 1,926 new cases reported on Wednesday.
There were 89 new deaths reported on Thursday, an increase from the 56 deaths reported on Wednesday.
There were 5,418 cases reported on the collection date of June 29, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. That is subject to change.
Health officials said the day with the highest number of reported deaths was July 7, when 77 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 10,799 new tests were reported on Thursday, an increase from the 8,005 new tests reported on Wednesday.
There have been a total of 1,037,924 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Thursday.
12.5% of those tests have been positive, the same as Wednesday.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 102,247
- Pima: 14,143
- Pinal: 6,974
- Coconino: 2,778
- Navajo: 4,992
- Apache: 2,841
- Mohave: 2,525
- La Paz: 448
- Yuma: 9,794
- Graham: 328
- Cochise: 1,311
- Santa Cruz: 2,424
- Yavapai: 1,478
- Gila: 622
- Greenlee: 39
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.
