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Coronavirus in Arizona on July 9: Gov. Doug Ducey gives update after death toll tops 2,000

There have been 112,671 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 2,038 coronavirus-related deaths, as of Thursday morning.

PHOENIX — Editor's note: Here is the live blog for July 10.

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 9.

Major updates: 

  • There have been 112,671 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 2,038 coronavirus-related deaths, as of Thursday morning.
  • The state does not record how many people have recovered, but Johns Hopkins University estimates the number of people who have recovered.
  • The United States has reached 3 million confirmed cases of coronavirus.
  • Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.

COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Thursday

There have been 112,671 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 2,038 coronavirus-related deaths as of Thursday, according to the state's latest numbers.

That is an increase from 108,614 cases and 1,963 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Wednesday.

A week ago, there were 87,425 cases and 1,757 deaths reported in Arizona.

EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 9 de julio

New executive order aimed at restaurants

Governor Doug Ducey announced a new executive order limiting the number of patrons restaurants can have on Thursday. 

The executive order reduces the capacity to less than 50 percent.

Death toll tops 2,000, cases reach 112,000 on Thursday

The Arizona Department of Health Services said the number of Arizonans who died from the virus reached 2,000 and the number of confirmed coronavirus cases topped 112,000.

Thursday marked the fifth straight day with more than 3,000 new cases reported in Arizona.

The number of coronavirus cases in Arizona continues to rise. Cases topped 112,000 one day after reaching the 108,000 mark and three days after reaching 100,000.

Arizona reached 50,000 coronavirus cases a little over two weeks ago, on June 21. The state reached 1,000 coronavirus deaths about a month ago, on June 5.

There were 5,235 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 June 25, when 40 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 House leaders ask Ducey for action

The ranking member of the House Health and Human Services Committee and the Arizona House Democractic Leader send the governor a letter acting for specific steps to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Kelli Butler and Charlene Fernandez called Arizona's response "slow-footed and inadequate" and asked for a mask mandate statewide, more testing and faster results, effective contact tracing, improvements to hospital capacity, and bipartisan leadership.

Read the full letter here.

WHO: Indoor airborne spread of coronavirus is possible

The World Health Organization is acknowledging the possibility that COVID-19 might be spread in the air under certain conditions — after more than 200 scientists urged the agency to do so.

In an open letter published this week in a journal, two scientists from Australia and the U.S. wrote that studies have shown “beyond any reasonable doubt that viruses are released during exhalation, talking and coughing in microdroplets small enough to remain aloft in the air.”

The above article is from The Associated Press. 

RELATED: WHO: Indoor airborne spread of coronavirus is possible

Starbucks to require customers to wear face masks

Starbucks will require customers to wear face coverings at all of its 9,000 company-owned locations in the U.S. 

The company explained in a blog post Thursday that it is working to prioritize "the health and well-being" of both employees and customers. 

The company said customers not wearing a face mask will be able to pick-up orders at the drive-thru, via curbside pick-up or by placing an order for delivery through Starbucks Delivers.

The above article is from Tegna. 

RELATED: Starbucks to require all customers to wear face masks

Half of the employees at an Arizona ICE facility test positive

A new report shows nearly half the employees at an Arizona ICE detention center have tested positive for COVID-19.

Arizona economic officials distributed $5.7B in unemployment help

The Arizona Department of Economic Security said Thursday that it has distributed more than $5.7 billion in state unemployment insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance since the week ending March 7. 

During that period, nearly 323,000 Arizonans received UI benefits and 557,000 Arizonans received PUA benefits. 

More than $722 million was issued to claimants last week alone. 

More information can be found on the Unemployment Insurance Data Dashboard

Have you experienced trouble getting your unemployment money from the state? Send us an email at connect@12News.com

Navajo Nation cases grow by 40, three new deaths

The Navajo Department of Health reported 40 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and three more deaths.

The total number of COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation is 7,981.

The total number of deaths has reached 382 as of Wednesday.

Reports from all 12 health care facilities on and near the Navajo Nation indicate that approximately 5,693 individuals have recovered from COVID-19. 

61,371 people have been tested for COVID-19.

Frank and Lupe's owner passes away from COVID-19

The community in Old Town Scottsdale was shocked to learn that the owner of a popular restaurant had passed away from a short battle with COVID-19 on Monday.

Teddy Bernal, the owner of Frank and Lupe’s Old Mexico restaurant at Indian School Road and Marshall Way, passed away after a 10-day battle with the virus. 

He was only 45 years old.

RELATED: Frank and Lupe's owner passes away from COVID-19

United States reaches 3 million cases of coronavirus

The United States has become the first country to reach three million confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The milestone was reached Wednesday morning, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins University.

By comparison, just one other country -- Brazil -- has passed the 1 million mark.

The Johns Hopkins University tracker shows more than 131,000 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19. There have been more than 936,000 recoveries.

RELATED: 3 million coronavirus cases now confirmed in US

CDC expands list of groups at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its list of individuals who are considered at an increased risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19.

The CDC explained that it's clear a substantial number of Americans are at increased risk of severe illness from the coronavirus pandemic – highlighting the importance of continuing to follow preventive measures.

Experts determined there was consistent evidence these conditions increase a person's risk, regardless of age: 

  • Chronic kidney disease
  • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
  • Obesity (BMI of 30 or higher)
  • Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
  • Serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Type 2 diabetes

RELATED: CDC expands list of groups at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness

Masks now required in public

Gov. Doug Ducey allowed individual Arizona cities to create their own policies about face-covering requirements and enforcement on Wednesday.  

A face covering has proven to be effective at limiting the spread of COVID-19, according to the CDC. The virus is primarily spread by in-person contact through sneezes and coughs.

Many cities, including Phoenix, have adopted their own mask requirement that is now in effect.

RELATED: These are the Arizona cities, counties and communities that have mask requirements

RELATED: Arizona mask requirement frequently asked questions

How to get tested for coronavirus

If you have reason to believe you have contracted coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, this is what you should do.

RELATED: How to get tested for coronavirus in Arizona

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 112,671 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Arizona and 2,038 coronavirus-related deaths as of Thursday.

That is an increase from 108,614 cases and 1,963 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Wednesday.

That's an increase of 4,057 new cases reported on Thursday, an increase from the 3,520 new cases reported on Wednesday. 

There was 75 new deaths reported on Thursday, an increase from the 36 deaths reported on Wednesday. 

There were 5,235 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 June 25, when 40 people died. That is subject to change.

In total, 14,193 new tests were reported on Thursday, a decrease from the 15,219 new tests reported on Wednesday.

There have been a total of 841,282 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Thursday. 

11.5% of those tests have been positive, an increase from 11.4% on Wednesday.

Here's a county breakdown:

  • Maricopa: 73,165
  • Pima: 10,835
  • Pinal: 5,156
  • Coconino: 2,338
  • Navajo: 4,150
  • Apache: 2,520
  • Mohave: 1,595
  • La Paz: 384
  • Yuma: 7,899
  • Graham: 180
  • Cochise: 905
  • Santa Cruz: 2,095
  • Yavapai: 1,037
  • Gila: 385
  • Greenlee: 27

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.

MORE RELATED ARTICLES: 

- Remembering some of the Arizonans we lost to COVID-19

- Unintended consequence: How COVID-19 affected our pockets

- Next coronavirus stimulus may have $40,000 income cap

- Congress created coronvirus aid then reaped the benefits, government data shows

- Protective gear running low again, doctors and nurses warn

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