State: All Arizona counties seeing substantial virus spread

All Arizona counties are showing substantial spread of the coronavirus, according to an update posted this past week by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Eight of the 15 counties – including Yavapai County – were classified as “substantial,” indicating the most severe risk for contracting the disease.

The metrics were created to guide decisions about whether it's safe to open schools and businesses, but Gov. Doug Ducey's administration has declined to require that they be followed. The metrics are a lagging indicator of true spread of the virus because they’re tied to data collected over several weeks.

Department officials urged caution during the holidays. “If you gather with people from outside your household, take the same precautions you’d follow in public: #MaskUpAZ, distance, wash/sanitize hands,” the department stated on Twitter.

The state on Saturday, Dec. 26, reported 15 additional deaths attributed to COVID-19, for a total of 8,424 deaths since the pandemic began. The Arizona Department of Health Services also reported 6,106 additional known COVID-19 cases, increasing its total to 493,041 cases.

Arizona had the third-worst COVID-19 diagnosis rate among U.S. states over the past week, behind Tennessee and California. The diagnosis rate is calculated by dividing the total state population by the number of new cases.

The state had a record 4,221 people hospitalized for COVID-19 on Dec. 23, according to the coronavirus dashboard — the latest in a series of pandemic highs set this month.

Coronavirus patients on Wednesday were using a record 50% of all hospital beds, while the 965 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit beds were below the state’s record of 972 set Tuesday.

Only 8% of all hospital inpatient beds were available and not in use, including 7% of ICU beds, according to the dashboard.

Dr. Cara Christ, the department’s director, reported Arizona’s seven-day rolling average of daily deaths rose from 49.9 deaths on Dec. 9 to 92.7 on Dec. 23 as the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases rose from 5,946 to 9,293.4, based on data from Johns Hopkins University and The COVID-Tracking Project.

The number of 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.

LOCALLY

On Saturday morning, ADHS reported 125 new COVID cases in Yavapai County, and no new deaths. The county’s totals stand at 79,805 people tested for COVID-19, 10,446 positive cases and 192 deaths. Yavapai County Community Health Services does not issue reports on the weekend; as of Dec. 24, it reported 10,347 confirmed cases, 186 deaths and 4,065 recoveries.

Hotspots remain: Prescott (2,492 cases), Prescott Valley (2,424), Cottonwood (1,444) and Camp Verde (740), according to the county.

INFORMATION

• For a COVID-19 test at Community Health Center of Yavapai, call 928-583-1000. For a flu shot, call 928-771-3122.

• Yavapai Emergency Phone Bank for COVID Info: 928-442-5103 – Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• County COVID-19 Data, Testing Sites, School & Business Guidelines & Resources at www.yavapai.us/chs.

• New ADHS website for Healthy Kids, Open Schools at https://azdhs.gov/healthyschools.

• COVID-19 information en español at https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/infectious-disease-epidemiology/es/covid-19.


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