Arizona tops COVID-19 marks of 10,000 deaths, 600,000 cases
Yavapai moving to next vaccination phase

Arizona, a national COVID-19 hotspot, on Saturday, Jan. 9, passed the grim milestones of 10,000 deaths and 600,000 known cases since the pandemic began.

The Department of Health Services reported 11,094 additional cases and 98 deaths, increasing the pandemic totals to 607,345 cases and 10,036 deaths.

Arizona was tied with Rhode Island for the worst COVID-19 diagnosis rate in the country, with 1 person in every 109 diagnosed with the disease between Jan. 1 and Friday. The diagnosis rate is a state’s population divided by the number of new cases over the past week.

Saturday was the second straight day that Arizona reported more than 11,000 additional cases.

The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

The state’s seven-day rolling average of daily new cases increased from about 6,323 on Dec. 25 to around 9,426 on Friday as the rolling average of daily deaths rose from 84.3 to 131.9, according to data from Johns Hopkins University and The COVID Tracking Project.

With the current surge straining the state's health care system, there were 4,920 COVID-19 patients occupying inpatient beds as of Friday.

In another development, the organization that governs Arizona high school sports announced Friday that its leadership approved a medical advisory panel’s recommendation to cancel the winter sports season due to the surge and large number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations.

“We do not see the situation improving very quickly," said Toni Corona, president of the executive board of the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

Dr. Cara Christ, the state's top health official, on Friday said she expects another large spike tied to New Year's gatherings and travel, similar to those that followed other holidays.

“Three to five days after Christmas and Christmas Eve were our highest days yet,” Christ, head of the Department of Health Services, said during a virtual briefing. “So, we know that people got together and that they let their guard down.”

Leaders of Arizona’s biggest hospital systems and others have repeatedly called on Gov. Doug Ducey and Christ to implement tighter restrictions to stop the virus’s spread. They have urged a statewide mask mandate, a temporary ban on indoor dining and closing bars and gyms.

The Republican governor has rejected those calls and said local officials should enforce existing restrictions.

Areas with more than 90% of the state's population already has mask mandates in place and states can only do so much, Christ said.

“As you’re looking at what’s going on in other states, there’s not a best practices model,” she said. “You’ve got Florida, who has no mitigation strategies, that is in the same boat. You’ve got California, who has stricter mitigation strategies, that is in the same boat.”

YAVAPAI COUNTY

On Friday, Yavapai County Community Health Services (YCCHS) reported 269 new cases of COVID-19 overnight, according to a news release. YCCHS does not issue reports on weekends.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Yavapai County has tested 86,054 residents with 13,376 positive cases, 5,162 recovered, and 259 deaths. The ADHS website has Yavapai’s numbers at 13,293 cases and 275 deaths.

VACCINE UPDATE

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

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.

The Daily Courier contributed to this story.


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