Arizona sees number of COVID-19 cases surpass 1,000 mark

PHOENIX – The number of positive tests for COVID-19 in Arizona has crossed the 1,000 barrier, and three more people have died from the disease caused by the coronavirus, state health officials said Monday morning.

The state case total was up to 1,157, an increase of 238 from the previous morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health. The death total increased from 17 to 20.

All of Arizona’s 15 counties now have cases, with Greenlee reporting its first. The Greenlee County Health Department said the case was travel related and all people involved are being isolated.

The state health department has been providing daily case updates on its website each morning. There were 919 cases reported Sunday morning.

The Phoenix area has the most cases, with 690 positive tests and five deaths in Maricopa County, according to the state.

Pima County, with 187, was the only other county with more than 100 cases.

More than 16,000 tests for the virus have been given in Arizona, according to the health department, with about 6% coming back positive.

Last week, Health Director Dr. Cara Christ said that while the capacity for testing has been increasing, which is reflected in a rise in cases, there’s still a shortage of supplies and protective equipment for health care workers. As a result, there aren’t enough tests for everyone who wants one, so high-risk populations are being prioritized.

Earlier Monday, Gov. Doug Ducey and Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman announced that Arizona’s district and charter schools would remain closed for the remainder of the school year because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 2,405 deaths from more than 140,000 COVID-19 cases as of Monday.

According to data compiled and constantly updated by Johns Hopkins University, there were more than 775,000 cases and 36,000 deaths globally as of Monday afternoon.

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