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Arizona tops 40,000 cases of COVID-19, adds 20 more deaths

Posted 6/16/20

The state of Arizona has topped 40,000 cases of coronavirus after adding nearly 2,000 more cases.

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, there are 40,924 cases and 1,239 deaths of …

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Arizona tops 40,000 cases of COVID-19, adds 20 more deaths

Posted

The state of Arizona has topped 40,000 cases of coronavirus after adding nearly 2,000 more cases.

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, there are 40,924 cases and 1,239 deaths of COVID-19, up 1,827 and 20, respectively, from Tuesday.

The state had added 2,392 cases Tuesday, the most day-to-day count since the outbreak started.

The numbers of cases per 100,000 residents in the state is 562 as of Wednesday, using 2019 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Maricopa County is below that at 497. Navajo and Apache counties have rates of 2,498 and 2,779 per 100,000 residents, respectively. Santa Cruz County, at 2,505 cases per 100,000 residents, has now joined those two counties as the only ones above 2,000 cases per 100,000 residents.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

But for some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

According to the AZDHS, 83% of adult intensive care unit beds are in use, with 276 available.  In turn, 41% of emergency department beds are in use whil 1,346 are available. And 85% of inpatient beds are in use, leaving 1,146 available.There are also 1,133 ventilators available. These numbers are as of June 16.

Hospitals were treating 1,582 patients on Tuesday, an increase of more than 500 from two weeks earlier. Emergency room visits for patients with virus symptoms soared to nearly 1,100. On June 3, hospitals reported seeing 638 patients in the ER.

Statewide Tuesday, hospitals were at 85% of capacity. That's well above the 80% rate where Gov. Doug Ducey said they would have to halt elective surgeries to preserve space.

Mr. Ducey said last week he would enforce that order, but Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ said the department hadn't yet required a halt as they review the capacity reports. 

Daily Case Count
Arizona: 40,924
Maricopa County: 22,272
Pima County: 4,385

Navajo County: 2,771
Apache County: 1,998
Yuma County: 3,454
Pinal County: 1,793
Others: 4,251
*As of June 17

Navajo Nation resuming lockdowns

The Navajo Nation is resuming lockdowns for at least the next two weekends as the number of coronavirus cases off the reservation increases, most notably in Arizona.

Tribal President Jonathan Nez made the announcement Tuesday in a virtual town hall. He cited Arizona, which hit an alarmingly high new daily number of cases with nearly 2,400 — almost double the previous record, in urging people to stay home. Businesses will be closed during the weekend lockdown.

During its peak, the Navajo Nation sent the sickest patients from the reservation to larger hospitals in Arizona and New Mexico. That might not be an option if hospitals in Arizona become overwhelmed with patients, Mr. Nez said.

“A second surge, a worse surge, may put a lot of pressure back on our health care system and our health care workers,” Mr. Nez said.

Residents on the Navajo Nation are still under daily nighttime curfews. It has been a couple of weeks since they were required to stay home throughout the weekend, from sundown Friday to sunrise Monday. Tribal police have been citing people for violating the lockdown.

Masks also must be worn in public on the reservation. Tribal government offices remain closed to the public.

Late Tuesday, the tribe reported 39 new cases of COVID-19, and eight more deaths. The total number of cases reported was 6,672 with 319 deaths. Health officials said nearly half of those who tested positive have recovered.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.