(Photo by Maja Hitij / Getty Images)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information, news and updates about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for Monday, August 24th.
PHOENIX – Arizona family authorities reported Monday morning zero new coronavirus deaths and 311 additional cases.
It was the second consecutive Monday with no new deaths reported.
That put the state’s documented total at 198,414 COVID-19 infections and 4,771 deaths, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Several key metrics about the severity of the Arizona pandemic are at or near the lowest they have been in a month or more. Coronavirus-related hospitalizations are down to levels not seen since May.
The rolling average of seven days for newly reported cases dropped to 652.29 on Wednesday, the lowest seen since June 2, according to tracking by The Associated Press.
The seven-day average of newly reported deaths ticks to 37.86, the second-lowest mark since July 8th.
The seven-day average for new cases peaked at 3,844 on July 6, and the death toll reached a high of 94 on July 30.
The spread of coronavirus in Arizona has been slower in the month-plus since the implementation of face mask requirements by local governments in many areas – including all of Maricopa County – and statewide executive orders to limit businesses such as bars and gyms and restaurants limit occupation.
These moves were made after the state became a global hotspot for the coronavirus, which does not affect some people and is seriously fatal or fatal to others. Infected people without symptoms – which include, but are not limited to, cough, fever, and difficulty breathing – are able to spread the virus.
Arizona’s weekly positive rate for COVID-19 diagnostic tests, which shows how widespread the virus is, has been declining for seven consecutive weeks.
For the 45,596 samples taken last week that were processed and recorded, the positive rate is 5%, the lowest since the week beginning on May 10th.
Weekly rates are based on when the samples are taken, not when they are reported, so the percentage for the past weeks may fluctuate as laboratories are caught during tests and the results are documented by the state.
The Arizona Department of Health’s daily reports present current data on case, death, and testing after the state receives and confirms statistics, which can be delayed by several days or more. They do not represent actual activity in the last 24 hours.
However, hospital data posted each morning are being reported by hospitals the previous evening, showing coronavirus-related hospitalizations at their lowest levels since early June.
The number of confirmed as suspected COVID-19 inpatients from Arizona fell to 908 on Sunday, the lowest since May 26.
The number of COVID-19 patients in ICU beds increased by 16 to 345, the second-least since May 25th.
COVID-19 patients peaked at 3,517 on July 13, and COVID-19 patients in ICU beds peaked at 970 the same day.
Overall, inpatient beds on Sunday were 81% full, 1 point lower than the previous day. The occupancy rate of inpatients reached 88% on July 9-10.
The occupancy rate of the ICU was 78%, 1 point lower than the previous day. It peaked at 7% at 91%.
Data from hospital companies on the health department’s website does not include storage beds that are not activated but could potentially increase capacity.
Below are the last months of Monday about the coronavirus pandemic from around the state, country and world:
- There were more than 23.4 million cases of coronavirus and 809,000 deaths reported worldwide as of Monday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. For the US, there were more than 5.7 million cases and 176,000 deaths.
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