As Arizona prepares to expand its vaccination reach, health officials on Tuesday reported more than 6,400 new COVID-19 cases and one new death.
State officials also announced appointments will be scheduled for two mass vaccination sites in suburban Phoenix for people age 65 and older. The earliest slots they will be able to register for are in February.
The state Department of Health Services and local partners transformed the parking lot outside State Farm Stadium in Glendale last week into a round the clock vaccination site. Phoenix Municipal Stadium will open as a site on Feb. 1.
Health officials said there were 6,417 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases. Arizona since the pandemic began has reported 673,882 cases and 11,266 known deaths. Meanwhile, the state’s COVID-19 hospitalizations have started to decline after spiking to record levels over the past week.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Arizona currently leads the nation with the highest seven-day average of daily cases per 100,000 people with 117.
In other developments:
—The University of Arizona will require all students living on campus to get COVID-19 tests twice a week. Students will gargle a saline solution that will then be analyzed by the university’s own research lab. Students must take the two tests at least 48 hours apart.
“It’s certainly a better experience not having someone or having you put a swab up your own nose,” University President Robert Robbins said.
The number of infections in Arizona 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.
Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
