Arizona sees over 11,000 new virus cases, nearly 200 deaths; vaccine phase 1B could start by end of next week

U.S. tops 4,000 daily deaths from COVID-19 for 1st time

Arizona, struggling with the worst COVID-19 diagnosis rate in the United States, reported 11,658 new infections and 197 more deaths Friday, Jan. 8.

One in every 115 people in the state was diagnosed with the virus from Dec. 30 to Wednesday. The rate is obtained by dividing a state's population by the number of new cases.

The surge is stressing hospitals. There were 4,907 COVID-19 patients hospitalized Thursday, including a pandemic record 1,122 in intensive care, according to the state's coronavirus dashboard.

Arizona's pandemic totals have reached 596,251 infections and 9,938 deaths. The true number of infections is likely much higher because not everyone is tested and some people can be infected without showing symptoms.

Meanwhile, Arizona's vaccination program has entered a new phase. Several counties have expanded eligibility, now offering shots to police, teachers, child care workers and people 75 or older.

Those eligible in the first phase that began last month included health care workers and those who live and work at long-term care facilities.

Gov. Doug Ducey's office announced Friday that the federal government was providing Arizona with $65.8 million to bolster the state's vaccination program.

UNITED STATES

The U.S. topped 4,000 coronavirus deaths in a single day for the first time, breaking a record set just one day earlier, with several Sun Belt states driving the surge.

The tally from Johns Hopkins University showed the nation had 4,085 deaths Thursday, along with nearly 275,000 new cases of the virus — evidence that the crisis is growing worse after family gatherings and travel over the holidays and the onset of winter, which is forcing people indoors.

Deaths have reached epic proportions. Since just Monday, the U.S. has recorded 13,500 deaths — more than Pearl Harbor, D-Day, 9/11 and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake combined.

Britain, with one-fifth the population of the U.S., likewise reported on Friday its highest one-day count of deaths yet: 1,325. That brings the country's toll to nearly 80,000, the highest in Europe.

Overall, the scourge has left more than 365,000 dead in the U.S. and caused nearly 22 million confirmed infections.

Cases and deaths are soaring in California, Arizona, Texas and Florida. Those four states had a combined nearly 1,500 deaths and 80,000 cases on Thursday. Daily records have been set in those states this week as well as in Mississippi and Nevada.

Many hospitals in Los Angeles and other hard-hit areas are struggling to keep up and warned they may need to ration lifesaving care. Many nurses are caring for more sick people than typically allowed under the law after the state began issuing waivers to the strict nurse-to-patient ratios.

In Los Angeles County's Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia, nurse Nerissa Black said the place is overwhelmed with patients, likening the situation to New York's at the beginning of the pandemic.

She was assigned six patients and could spend only about 10 minutes with each of them per hour, including the time it takes for her to change her protective gear. "It's very hard to decide which one should I go see first: the patient who has chest pain or the patient whose oxygen level is dropping," she said.

At St. Joseph Hospital south of Los Angeles, nurses in the COVID-19 ward described being overwhelmed as the deaths mount.

"Just today we had two deaths on this unit. And that's pretty much the norm," said Caroline Brandenburger. "I usually see one to two every shift. Super sad." She added: "They fight every day, and they struggle to breathe every day even with tons of oxygen. And then you just see them die. They just die."

More than 132,000 people nationwide are hospitalized with the virus.

YAVAPAI COUNTY

Yavapai County Community Health Services (YCCHS) reported 269 new cases of COVID-19 overnight, according to a news release Friday, Jan. 8.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Yavapai County has tested 86,054 residents with 13,376 positive cases, 5,162 recovered, and 259 deaths.

YRMC West has 59 COVID-19 patients, and YRMC East is caring for 31 patients. VVMC in Cottonwood reports 23 COVID-19 hospitalizations. The Prescott VA reports eight COVID-19 patients.

VACCINE UPDATE

YCCHS announced Friday that they expect to move into Phase 1B in the vaccination priority by the end of next week.

Arizonans 75 and older are now prioritized to be included in this second 1B phase, which also includes frontline essential workers such as firefighters, police officers, corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and teachers, support staff, and daycare workers.

Details on how to register for the vaccine and where qualified 1B individuals can receive it have not yet been released.

FLU NUMBERS

Seasonal influenza activity in the U.S. remains lower than usual for this time of year. There have been only 661 flu cases in Arizona with a slight spike of 259 cases in the state just before Christmas with 48% of cases in the 19- to 49-year-old age group. Yavapai County has had only four cases reported by physicians.

LOCAL COVID-19 INFORMATION

• COVID-19 Vaccine Phase by Arizona County, https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/infectious-disease-epidemiology/novel-coronavirus/vaccine-phases-1-4-2021.pdf.

• COVID-19 vaccine FAQs, yavapai.us/Portals/39/COVID-19/COVID-19VaccineFAQs.pdf.

• Yavapai Emergency Phone Bank for COVID-19 info: 928-442-5103, open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.to 5 p.m.

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

• County COVID-19 data, testing sites, guidelines & resources, www.yavapai.us/chs.

• COVID-19 information en español, azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/infectious-disease-epidemiology/es/COVID-19-19.

Eugene Garcia, Lisa Marie Pane and Thalia Beaty of the Associated Press contributed to this story.