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, Sept. 9.
Major updates:
- There have been 206,541 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,251 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.
- Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.
- Navajo Nation reports no new coronavirus cases for first time since March.
COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Wednesday
There have been 206,541 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,251 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona, according to the state's latest numbers.
That is an increase from 206,045 cases and 5,221 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Tuesday.
A week ago, there were 202,861 cases and 5,065 deaths reported in Arizona.
LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 9 de septiembre: 496 casos nuevos y 30 muertes se reportan el miércoles
496 new cases, 30 deaths reported Wednesday
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 496 new cases and 30 new deaths on Wednesday.
Arizona reached 200,000 coronavirus cases on Aug. 27, 100,000 on July 6 and 50,000 cases on June 21. The state reached 5,000 coronavirus deaths 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 0.87 as of Tuesday.
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 5,484 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 17, when 97 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.
The Navajo Nation reports no new coronavirus cases for first time since March
Tuesday marked a milestone day for the Navajo Nation as its health officials reported no new coronavirus cases across the Navajo Nation's 13 healthcare facilities.
“This is a milestone for the Navajo Nation,” Speaker Seth Damon said in a release. “But it’s going to take the continuing efforts of our Navajo People to continue the reduction in numbers until a viable COVID-19 vaccine is available.”
The new report Tuesday included a total of 9,903 confirmed positive cases since March, and four additional deaths related to COVID-19 for a total of 527 deaths.
A total 7,157 recovered cases were noted and a total of 97,644 tests have been administered across the Navajo Nation.
Navajo epidemiologists, who track and study the spread of outbreaks, said the latest spike prior to Tuesday’s report stems from a family gathering that took place a few weeks ago.
This past weekend’s Labor Day holiday is expected to produce another outbreak as families moved and gathered following the 32-hour weekend lockdown. A new 32-hour weekend lockdown begins Saturday Sept. 12 at 9 pm. through 5 a.m. on Monday Sept. 14.
Navajo Nation leaders are calling on people to be vigilant in keeping COVID-19 numbers down.
More information about the Navajo Nation’s response to COVID-19 can be found at the Navajo Nation Department of Health’s COVID-19 website.
ASU leaders discuss COVID response
Arizona State University President Michael Crow and other university leaders discussed the recent uptick in positive COVID-19 cases after campus reopened for in-person learning on Wednesday.
University leaders discussed testing and data trends as coronavirus cases increase to 807 students and 18 staff members.
Watch the update below.
Judge rules Arizona bars that don't serve food must stay closed
Arizona bars that don't serve food will not be able to reopen after a Maricopa County Superior Court judge refused to issue a restraining order that some bars requested.
More than 100 bar owners from across Arizona sued the governor's office for a stay in his executive order, but a judge ruled against them.
It's the latest set back for bars looking to get back into business.
The judge said those bars failed to show that the governor's orders violated the state constitution or caused irreparable harm to those businesses.
An attorney for the bar owners said they will appeal the decision.
Arizona hospitals will be required to report flu stats
Gov. Doug Ducey on Tuesday required hospitals, testing laboratories and other health care facilities to report detailed information about influenza cases ahead of flu season.
The governor's office announced that Ducey issued an executive order extending the Enhanced Surveillance Advisory for COVID-19 and adding new influenza reporting requirements for health care facilities.
The advisory, according to the office, "required hospitals, testing laboratories and other health care facilities to report detailed information about COVID-19 cases, health care capacity and more."
Health care facilities, according to the advisory, are required to report daily statistics on staff resources, ventilator availability, intensive care unit bed availability, inpatient bed availability, personal protective equipment supply levels, medical supply levels and more.
Here are the new reporting requirements for influenza, according to the governor's office:
- Number of inpatient influenza positive patients or patients with suspected influenza;
- Number of ventilators in use by influenza positive patients or patients with suspected influenza;
- Number of ICU beds in use by influenza positive patients or patients with suspected influenza; and,
- Number of influenza positive patients or patients with suspected influenza seen in the Emergency Department per day.
Tuesday's order extends the COVID-19 reporting requirements and adds more for influenza. It's part of the governor's ongoing effort to tackle the effects of flu season combined with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Navajo Nation reports 0 new COVID-19 cases
The Navajo Department of Health reported zero COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and four more deaths.
The total number of positive COVID-19 cases is now 9,903, which includes two previously unreported positive cases from July.
The total number of deaths has reached 527 as of Tuesday.
Reports indicate that 7,157 individuals have recovered from COVID-19 and 97,644 COVID-19 tests have been administered.
Nook Kitchen in Arcadia to reopen Wednesday
Nook Kitchen in Arcadia will reopen its doors on Wednesday.
The reopening will be celebrated with a new menu.
It will reopen at limited capacity and reservations are recommended.
Cactus Shadows High School to go back in person Wednesday
Students and staff at Cactus Shadows High School are expected to go back in person on Wednesday. Team 12's Jen Wahl has the latest.
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.
RELATED: Arizona’s health department wants you to report businesses that don’t enforce safety requirements
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 Wednesday
There have been 206,541 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,251 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona.
That is an increase from 206,045 cases and 5,221 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Tuesday.
There were 496 new cases reported on Wednesday, an increase from the 81 new cases reported on Tuesday.
There were 30 deaths reported on Wednesday, an increase from the two new deaths reported Tuesday.
There were 5,484 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 17, when 97 people died. That is subject to change.
In total, 2,961 new tests were reported on Wednesday, a decrease from the 3,770 new tests reported on Tuesday.
There have been a total of 1,541,471 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Wednesday.
11.2% of those tests have been positive as of Wednesday, the same as Tuesday.
Here's a county breakdown:
- Maricopa: 136,324
- Pima: 22,071
- Pinal: 10,086
- Coconino: 3,409
- Navajo: 5,661
- Apache: 3,375
- Mohave: 3,769
- La Paz: 518
- Yuma: 12,344
- Graham: 766
- Cochise: 1,847
- Santa Cruz: 2,779
- Yavapai: 2,386
- Gila: 1,148
- Greenlee: 58
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.
