Arizona on Tuesday set a new daily record with over 12,300 additional known coronavirus cases as the number of hospitalized patients approached levels similar to the peak of last summer’s surge.
The Department of Health Services reported 12,314 additional known cases, eclipsing the previous record of 10,322 cases set Dec. 1 when officials said that day’s report was inflated by delayed reporting over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Arizona’s case total increased to 378,157. The state also reported 23 additional deaths, increasing that total to 6,973.
“Arizona does not have control of this virus,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said on a Twitter post that included advice to review routines, stay home if possible, and to wear a mask whenever out.
Department of Health Services officials before Thanksgiving had warned that family gatherings of more than one household would increase the virus’ already strong spread during the fall surge.
Tuesday’s case report was “concerning but not unexpected,” department spokeswoman Holly Poynter said in an email. “With the December holidays and the New Year coming, we continue to urge Arizonans to take steps to reduce the spread of this very contagious virus.”
Poynter said the state, counties, and health providers were taking steps to respond to the increase in cases, including hiring additional nurses to staff hospital beds and transferring patients among hospitals so they get the appropriate level of care.
The state reported 1,567 additional known cases and no deaths on Monday, a day when reports typically are reduced due to weekend reporting delays, but the state reported over 5,000 additional known cases on five of the previous six days.
The state’s seven-day rolling average continued to climb in the past two weeks as have the rolling averages for daily deaths and daily COVID-19 testing positivity, a measure of community transmission.
The daily case average rose from 3,630 on Nov. 23 to 5,575 on Monday while the daily deaths average increased from 23.1 to 44.4 and the positivity average rose from 18.5% to 28.9%, according to data from Johns Hopkins University and The COVID Tracking Project. That is nearly six times the benchmark suggested by the World Health Organization of 5%.
Arizona’s COVID-19-related hospitalizations as of Monday increased to 3,517, approaching the peak of approximately 3,500 in mid-July, according to the state’s coronavirus dashboard.
The dashboard indicated that 12% of all hospital beds and 10% of intensive care unit beds were available Monday, up from 10% and 8% respectively.
Hospital officials and public health experts have warned that the current surge will exceed the health system’s capacity.
Gov. Doug Ducey has imposed restrictions that closed some establishments and required distancing and other precautions to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But he hasn’t ordered a statewide mask mandate, a new stay-home requirement, or curfews although many local governments have been imposing masking requirements.
The number of COVID-19 infections 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.
