COVID-19 Update: Yavapai County at 1,647 cases, Testing Blitz each Saturday in August

This COVID-19 dashboard is maintained by Yavapai County Community Health Services. It may not always reflect current updated numbers or match posted Arizona Department of Health Services data. For more county COVID-19 data visit https://www.yavapai.us/chs. For state data visit https://www.azdhs.gov/covid-19. (YCCHS/Courtesy)

This COVID-19 dashboard is maintained by Yavapai County Community Health Services. It may not always reflect current updated numbers or match posted Arizona Department of Health Services data. For more county COVID-19 data visit https://www.yavapai.us/chs. For state data visit https://www.azdhs.gov/covid-19. (YCCHS/Courtesy)

Yavapai County’s recorded cases of COVID-19 increased by 34 overnight, according to a Yavapai County Community Health Services (YCCHS) news release Tuesday, July 28.

The county has tested 27,586 residents, with 1,647 positive cases, 609 recovered and 56 deaths.

Yavapai Regional Medical Center is caring for 16 COVID-19 patients on the West Campus and five on the East Campus with three persons under investigation (PUI). Verde Valley Medical Center in Cottonwood reports 10 COVID-19 hospitalizations and three PUI.  The Prescott VA has three COVID-19 patients and no PUI.

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Top chart shows total number of positive COVID-19 cases in the state by county. Bottom chart shows increase in cases overnight. (Yavapai County Community Health Services/Courtesy)

STATE UPDATE

Across the state, 1,112,825  Arizonans have been tested for the coronavirus with 165,934 positive results (up 2,107 overnight) and 3,408 deaths, up 104 since yesterday's report.

TESTING BLITZ IN YAVAPAI COUNTY

Spectrum Healthcare will conduct a Testing Blitz in Yavapai County from 8 a.m. to noon for the next five Saturdays, August 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29.

The drive-through COVID-19 testing locations are: 990 Willow Creek Road in Prescott and 651 Mingus Avenue in Cottonwood. 

Patients can pre-register online, which will save time processing in-line, at spectrumhealthcare-group.org, but it is a first come first serve basis and while supplies last, Spectrum said in a press release. The testing service is free from Spectrum, however the actual lab test will be charged to insurance. The results take three to five days to return.

"We have seen a great turnout the Arizona Blitz Testing we participated in the past and we expect to have the same during the month of August," April Rhodes, CEO at Spectrum said. "We hope this can provide Yavapai County residents with answers."

Participants are asked to bring a photo identification and wear masks to help protect healthcare workers who will be doing the testing. There is no need to get a physician order.

WHY TESTING RESULT DELAYS?

The United States might have more COVID-19 testing capacity than any other country. So why have we seen laboratories overwhelmed and many patients again waiting a week or more for results?

According to the YCCHS release, at the heart of the crisis is a reliance by public and private labs on automated testing equipment that locks them in to using proprietary chemical kits and other tools made by a handful of manufacturers.

In Arizona, Sonora Quest Laboratories — a partnership between Quest and the Banner Health hospital chain — handles 80% of COVID-19 tests, making it the largest testing network in the state. Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is partnering with Sonora Quest Laboratories to expand processing capabilities of COVID-19 diagnostic tests. Under this partnership, Sonora Quest expects to increase processing capacity to 35,000 diagnostic tests per day by the end of July, and up to 60,000 tests per day by the end of August.

The Governor’s Office worked with ADHS, the White House and HHS to procure an additional Roche testing machine for Sonora Quest Laboratories to further bolster testing in the state, YCCGS said. The Roche testing machine helps expand testing throughout the state by delivering quick results and processing a high volume of patient samples. These efforts build on previous actions to expand testing for all Arizonans, including the most vulnerable and underserved populations.

INFORMATION

• Food Sharing in Prescott Valley: Thursdays, 5 to 7 p.m. at the former Albertsons.

• For Yavapai County data and COVID-19 Resources: www.yavapai.us/chs

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

• Arizona 2-1-1: A resource for all the time, not just during COVID-19: https://211arizona.org/

• COVID-19 information en español: https://azhealth.gov/covid-19

• Local mental health resources: #YavapaiStrongerTogether – https://justicementalhealth.com/resources-support/#covid19.

TESTING BLITZ LOCATION MAPS


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