Arizona coronavirus update: 6,526 confirmed cases, 275 known deaths as of Sunday

according to new numbers released Sunday by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Arizona’s total identified cases rose to 6,526, according to the most recent state figures. That’s an increase of 246 confirmed cases, or 3.9%, since Saturday when the state reported 6,280identified cases and 273 deaths.

Maricopa County’s confirmed cases now exceed 3,300, according to state numbers. All of Arizona’s 15 counties have reported at least two cases.

The number of Arizona cases likely is higher than official numbers suggest because of limits on supplies and available tests, which led to the state issuing guidelines that restrict who should be tested. The state announced Thursday that anyone who thinks they could be infected can now get tested.

The state updated its COVID-19 data package this week to show case and death rates per 100,000 residents at state and county levels. The new dashboard also provides more detailed hospitalization data and more information on the percentage of people with the virus who have chronic medical conditions or who fall into high-risk populations. Information on cases by ZIP code is now downloadable.

Arizona has seen a slight increase in COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals and ICU beds in use in recent days, state hospitalization data shows. 

Several different mathematical models project different outcomes and timelines for Arizona deaths and peak hospital use based on when social distancing is relaxed and various interpretations of current data.

The latest Arizona data

As of Sunday morning, the state reported death totals from these counties: 122 in Maricopa, 76 in Pima, 38 in Coconino, 18 in Navajo, nine in Pinal, five in Apache and four in Mohave.

Yavapai, Yuma and La Paz reported one death each as of Sunday. Information on deaths in those counties differed on the state site Sunday, showing fewer than three deaths for each of the three counties.

Gila, Greenlee, Graham, Cochise and Santa Cruz counties each reported no deaths as of Sunday, according to state data.

Of the statewide identified cases overall, 47% are men and 53% are women. Previously, the majority of cases were men.

Men made up a higher percentage of deaths. As of Sunday’s state data, 58% of the deaths were men and 42% were women.

People 65 and older made up 208 of the 275 total deaths. While race/ethnicity is unknown for 12% of deaths, 49% of deaths were white, 20% were Native American and 13% were Hispanic or Latino.

Of the 6,526 individuals who have tested positive, 4.2% have died. Overall, Arizona has 90.8 cases and 3.83 deaths per 100,000 residents, according to state data. The situation differs by county, with Maricopa having 76.9 cases and 2.79 deaths per 100,000 residents and Coconino having 285.2 cases and 25.8 deaths per 100,000 residents, for example. Navajo County has 554 cases and 15.95 deaths per 100,000 residents. 

Of the 6,526 cases, 29% have chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, cardiac disease, hypertension, chronic pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease or chronic liver disease. In addition, 43% of all cases are considered “high-risk,” meaning the individual is either over 65 or has a chronic condition.

The state Health Department website said both state and private laboratories have completed a total of 64,811 tests for COVID-19, according to the number posted Sunday on the agency website.

Most COVID-19 tests come back negative, the state’s dashboard shows, with 8.6% of tests coming back positive.

Maricopa County’s Department of Public Health provided more detailed information on its 3,351 cases Sunday(the state reported its cases at 3,359):

• Confirmed cases increased by 129 from Saturday to Sunday. Deaths increased by one to 121.
• The cases are 49% men and 51% women.
• 482 cases have been linked to residents of long-term care facilities. Of those, 134 people (25%) have been hospitalized and 74 people (14%) have died.
• 91 long-term care facilities have at least one positive case from a resident or staff.
• 113 people under age 19 have tested positive, making up 3% of positive cases.
• People aged 20 to 44 make up 37% of positive cases, followed by people 45-64 years old at 33% and people 65 or older at 26%.
• 18%, or 592 cases, have been hospitalized.
• 5%, or 176 cases, have been in the intensive care unit. The hospitalization and ICU numbers include any cases that were in the hospital or ICU at any time during their illness, the county says.
• The likelihood of being hospitalized or in the ICU increases with age. Of those aged 20-44, 107 (9%) were hospitalized and 26 (2%) were in the ICU. For people aged 45-64,  202 (18%) were hospitalized and 65 (6%) were in the ICU. Among those over age 65, there were 281 (32%) hospitalized and 84 (10%) in the ICU.
• Of the 121 deaths in Maricopa County, one was aged 20-44, 13 were aged 45-64 and 107 were over age 65.

Cases rise in other counties

According to Sunday’s state update, Pima County reported 1,136 identified cases. Navajo County reported 625 cases, while Coconino reported 420. Pinal County reported 342, Apache County reported 336, Yavapai County reported 76, Mohave County reported 88 and Yuma County reported 51.

Cochise County reported 36 cases, Santa Cruz County reported 30, Gila County reported 11, La Paz County reported seven, Graham County reported seven and Greenlee County reported two, according to state numbers.

All counties but Yavapai, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Gila, Greenlee and La Paz saw an increase in their numbers from Saturday.

The Navajo Nation announced on Sundayevening it had 1,716 identified cases, with 59 confirmed deaths. The case count previously included border towns, but no longer does, which is why the count decreased slightly in recent reports. Of the 1,716 cases, 1,039 involve residents on tribal land in Arizona counties. The Navajo Nation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

The Navajo Nation continued to enforce a 57-hour curfew over the weekend and nightly curfews during the week in efforts to help slow the spread. The Navajo Nation also issued an emergency order requiring all individuals to wear masks in public.

44 cases in Arizona prisons

The Arizona Department of Corrections’ online dashboard said 44 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Saturday. The 44 cases are at these four facilities: 30 in Florence, eight in Marana, five in Eyman and one in Tucson.

The department had tested 193 inmates as of Saturday, with 134 negative cases and nine pending out of a total population of 41,440.

Both legal and nonlegal visitations have been suspended through May 13, at which point the department will reassess. The department said CenturyLink is giving inmates two additional 15-minute calls for free during each week visitation is restricted.

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @curtis_chels. 

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