(Photo by Andrew Milligan – WPA Pool / Getty Images)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information, news, and updates on the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond during the week beginning June 22. (Previous daily updates: June 15-21)
PHOENIX – The Arizona health department reported 79 new deaths from coronavirus on Wednesday, a maximum of one day, but most were older incidents reclassified according to information on death certificates.
Approximately 20 minutes after updating its COVID-19 control panel with the new numbers, the Arizona Department of Health Services tweeted that 53 of the new deaths were determined by comparing death certificates.
The department also reported 1,795 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday morning, about half the record for a single day the previous day of 3,591.
The state has now documented a total of 59,974 cases and 1,463 deaths.
The previous single-day high for deaths was 67 on May 8, which included 35 found by monitoring death certificates since the week of April 12.
Tuesday’s report of 42 new deaths was the highest on a day that did not include surveillance of the death certificate.
The Arizona Department of Health Services has been providing case updates and evidence on its website every morning. The dashboard includes, among other information, test trends, updated hospital capacity, and a zip code case map.
Daily reports present data after the state receives statistics and compiles them, which can take several days. They are not intended to represent actual activity in the past 24 hours.
Arizona’s reported cases have increased at a faster rate than tests in the state in recent weeks, prompting government officials to implement new policies on facial masks and restaurant operations.
State officials have said that hospitals have the capacity to handle the growing number of patients with COVID-19. Capacity data on the health department website does not include emergency beds that can be activated if needed.
For the more than 599,000 PCR tests administered for active infections in the state since the start of the pandemic, including 10,052 reported on Wednesday, the positive rate jumped to 10.7%, continuing an upward increase from the beginning of the month. It was 10.5% on Tuesday and had been 6.7% on May 31.
As of Wednesday’s report, 3,830 PCR tests collected since Sunday were processed, with 21% positive results.
Of the PCR samples collected for the past week that have been processed, 19% were positive, exceeding the previous pandemic mark of 14% the previous week.
The weekly positive CRP rate has increased every week since the week beginning May 10, when it was 5%.
For the ninth day in a row, the number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients admitted to Arizona hospitals rose Tuesday, jumping to 2,270 overnight from 2,136.
The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has increased by 43% in the past week.
According to the latest data, the overall use of hospital beds for inpatients reached a pandemic maximum of 86%. That figure had been at the low level in the mid-1980s the previous two weeks and was 83% a day earlier.
While Arizona hospitals are seeing an increase in coronavirus patients, overall use of inpatient beds has remained fairly flat with a percentage in the low 80s in the past two weeks. It was 83% on Monday.
Overall ICU bed use also reached a pandemic peak of 88%. It settled at 83% -85% over the past week and was 84% on Monday.
However, the number of ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 patients decreased Tuesday for the second time in 16 days, dropping overnight to 581 from 614.
Another 190 COVID-19 patients were discharged from Arizona hospitals on Tuesday, the third time the plateau was reached or exceeded in the past four days.
Below are the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic from across the state, country, and world:
Wednesday June 24
- New cases of coronavirus in the US USA They have risen to their highest level in two months and are now back to where they were at the peak of the outbreak.
Tuesday June 23
- Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez announced a 43-case increase in coronavirus among the Navajo Nation and a total death toll of 336. While 7,088 people tested positive for COVID-19, there have been approximately 3,754 recoveries.
- Ahead of the August 4 primary date in Arizona, Maricopa County election officials have announced plans to facilitate voting amid the public health crisis.
- A nurse at Valley’s intensive care unit said it doesn’t feel as if the Banner hospital where she works was prepared for a recent influx of coronavirus patients.
Monday June 22
- Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez reported 55 new cases of COVID-19 and zero additional deaths among the Navajo Nation. While 7,045 individuals tested positive for the coronavirus, there have been approximately 3,716 recoveries.
- Arizona coronavirus testing is currently available to residents at more than 100 sites across the state, including more than 80 locations in the greater Phoenix area.
- More than 1,100 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed among those behind bars at various Arizona facilities.
- The Buckeye City Council canceled a meeting to discuss a face mask policy scheduled for Tuesday and will allow the county requirements approved on Friday by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to remain as the City of West Valley policy.
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