Arizona health officials on Monday reported 311 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and no additional deaths as the spread of the coronavirus continued to slow in the state that was once a hot spot.
The Arizona Department of Health Services said the new cases increased the state’s total to 198,414 while the death toll remained at 4,771.
Nearly 132,000 of the cases have occurred in Maricopa County — the state’s largest county that includes Phoenix.
Also Monday, the health department issued an order requiring public and private K-12 schools, child care centers and shelters to report COVID-19 outbreaks to their local health agencies. Schools already are required to report cases of mumps, measles, chickenpox and some other communicable diseases.
The order came as a few school districts have decided to return to some in-person instruction and more are likely to choose to do so in the coming weeks as virus cases drop to the point where they meet state reopening metrics.
Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ said her department wanted to get the order out before most students returned to class but had to first determine if an executive order from Gov. Doug Ducey was needed or if the department had the authority to issue it on its own.
“Luckily I think we got it out before a majority of schools are in,” she said. “Most of them are still doing remote” learning.
COVID-19-related hospitalization metrics posted by the department continued to trend downward and were at levels last seen in early June before Arizona became a national hot spot.
New case and death reports have dropped since mid-July. However, the number of infections is thought to be higher because many people have not been tested. Studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick.
For most people, COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a few weeks. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
