Arizona reports 638 new COVID-19 cases, no additional deaths Monday

This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for March 15, 2021.

PHOENIX – Arizona public health officials on Monday reported 638 new coronavirus cases and no additional deaths from COVID-19.

It was the fifth consecutive Monday with no deaths reported and the third day in a row with fewer than 1,000 new cases.

The state’s documented totals were updated to 833,381 coronavirus infections and 16,553 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services’ COVID-19 dashboard.

Key state metrics used to gauge the extent of the pandemic continue to improve and are the lowest they’ve been in months, and nearly a quarter of Arizona’s population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

The ADHS dashboard showed that 2,546,985 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the state, a day-over-day increase of 49,017, with 1,600,942 people (22.3% of the state’s population) having received at least one shot.

Only 911 combined new cases were reported Saturday and Sunday, the first time fewer than 1,000 cases were added over a two-day span since Oct. 4-5. Saturday’s 262 cases were the fewest reported in a day since Sept. 21.

The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients in the state’s hospitals decreased to 716 on Sunday, the fewest since Oct. 17. The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients dipped to 210, the fewest since Oct. 30.

Arizona’s weekly percent positivity for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, an indicator of how much the virus is spreading in the community, is at a five-month low.

Of the 63,308 people tested last week, 5% received a positive result. That matched the previous week’s mark, which the lowest since early October.

Official positivity rates are based on when the samples are taken, not when they are reported, so the percentage for recent weeks can fluctuate as labs get caught up on testing and the results are documented by the state.

The Arizona health department’s daily updates present case, death and testing data after the state receives statistics and confirms them, which can lag by several days or more. They don’t represent the actual activity over the past 24 hours.

The hospitalization data posted each morning is reported electronically the previous evening by hospitals across the state, as required under executive order.

COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has no impact on some people and is seriously debilitating or fatal for others. Infected people without symptoms — which include but are not limited to cough, fever and difficulty breathing — are capable of spreading the virus.

Diagnostic testing is available at hundreds of locations across Arizona and should be sought out by anybody with symptoms or who may have been exposed to an infected person. Information about locations, schedules and registration can be found on the Department of Health Services website.

For details about statewide COVID-19 vaccine availability, the ADHS website has a vaccine-finder page with a map of locations and information about registration and eligibility.

Below are Monday’s latest developments about the coronavirus pandemic from around the state, country and world:

• The Navajo Nation reported six new coronavirus cases and no deaths, bringing the documented totals to 29,954 infections and 1,218 fatalities.
• With COVID-19 metrics improving, the University of Arizona said it will expand classroom caps to 100 students in two weeks.
• The state-run COVID-19 vaccination site at State Farm Stadium in Glendale has now administered half a million doses.
• Almost all of Arizona’s K-12 students will have the opportunity to be back in classrooms by the end of the month, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show.
• After a challenging year working in front of a computer screen, fourth grade teacher Angelica Gaona headed back to her Phoenix classroom.
• Globally, there were about 119.96 million COVID-19 cases and 2.66 million deaths as of Monday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University research. The figures for the U.S. were around 29.44 million cases and 534,000 deaths.

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