Arizona reports 8,715 additional COVID-19 cases, 208 deaths; state still leads nation with worst rate

Staff and wire reports

Originally Published: January 16, 2021 10 a.m.

Arizona on Saturday, Jan. 16, reported over 200 additional deaths from COVID-19 as the state retained its worst-in-the-nation infection diagnosis rate.

The state Department of Health Services reported 8,715 additional known cases and 208 additional deaths, increasing the pandemic totals to 666,901 cases and 11,248 deaths.

There were 4,849 hospitalized COVID-19 patients occupying inpatient beds as of Friday, down from Monday’s record 5,082, according to the department's coronavirus dashboard.

Arizona's COVID-19 diagnosis rate from Jan. 8 to Jan. 15 was one person in every 116 residents. The diagnosis rate is a state's population divided by the number of new cases over the past week.

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.

Arizona's seven-day rolling average of daily new cases increased over the past two weeks, rising from 6,190.3 new cases per day on Jan. 1 to 8,847.9 new cases per day on Friday, while the rolling average of daily deaths during the period rose from 86.6 to 157.5, according to data from Johns Hopkins University and The COVID Tracking Project.

YAVAPAI COUNTY

Yavapai County saw an additional 204 cases of COVID and 17 deaths on Saturday, according to ADHS. The county does not issue reports on the weekend; on Friday, it reported 220 new cases and nine more deaths.

The county has tested 89,811 people with 14,602 positive for the virus and 325 deaths, since the pandemic began, according to ADHS. The county reported 14,737 cases with 5,743 recovered as of Friday.

LOCAL COVID-19 INFORMATION

• For Yavapai County COVID-19 vaccine information: https://www.yavapai.us/chs/Home/COVID-19/Vaccine.

• Yavapai Emergency Phone Bank for COVID-19 Info: 928-442-5103.

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

• COVID-19 information en español: https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/infectious-disease-epidemiology/es/covid-19/index.php#novel-coronavirus-home.