(AP Photo / Maheshkumar A.)
This is a regularly updated story, with the latest information, news and updates about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for Sunday, September 13th.
PHOENIX – Arizona health officials reported 384 new coronavirus cases and seven more deaths Sunday morning.
A total of 208,512 Kovid-19 infections and 5,322 deaths have been reported in the state, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Multiple key metrics about the severity of the Arizona epidemic, including coronavirus-related hospitalizations, are at their lowest or closest in months.
The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients in Arizona on Saturday fell to 525, the lowest since April 12.
The number of Kovid-19 patients in the ICU bed dropped to 171, returning to the second weakest mark since April 9, the AZDHSA statistics said on the first day.
COVID-19 patients peaked at 3,517 on July 13, and COVID-19 patients in ICU beds topped out at 970 on the same day.
Overall, patient beds were 81% full on Saturday, down 1% from the previous two days. The inpatient occupancy rate reached 88% on July 9-10.
The ICU business rate was 79%, up 1% from the previous two days. ICU occupancy rate was 911% in July.
The hospital hospital bed data on the health department’s website does not include those creative beds that have not been activated but could potentially increase capacity.
Arizona’s weekly positive rate for Covid-19 diagnostic tests is at 4% for the fourth consecutive week, the lowest since the epidemic’s first days in March. It was as high as 20% at the end of June.
Weekly rates are based on when samples are taken, not when they are reported, so percentages can fluctuate in recent weeks as labs are caught in the tests and the results are documented by the state.
Daily reports from the Arizona Department of Health present state, statistics and present case, death and test data after confirming them, which can be delayed by several days or more. They do not represent the actual activity of the last 24 hours.
Hospital data posted every morning, however, is reported by hospitals the previous evening.
Cases skyrocketed in June, with local governments in many parts of Arizona – including all of Maricopa County – enforcing face mask requirements, and Gov. Doug Ducey issuing statewide executive orders to close some businesses and ban restaurant business.
The spread of COVID-19 soon slowed and is steadily declining from the peak of the epidemic. The benchmark set by most of the state’s health departments has been hit which allows certain industries to reopen under capacity restrictions and other regulations.
The seven-day moving average for newly registered cases on Saturday was 317, according to tracking by the Associated Press. It bounced back after a slight bump in early September and is the lowest since May 4th.
The seven-day average of newly recorded deaths was 18.33, the lowest level since June 10.
Seven-day average for new cases July 3,, 844. The death toll peaked at 94 on July.
Covid-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has no effect on some people and is severely debilitating or fatal to others. Infected people without symptoms – including but not limited to coughs, fevers and shortness of breath – are capable of spreading the virus.
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