Arizona reports 187 new coronavirus cases, 104 additional deaths
Aug 26, 2020, 8:26 AM | Updated: Aug 27, 2020, 8:29 am
(Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)
(Photo by Fiona Goodall/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 Wednesday, Aug. 26.
PHOENIX – Arizona health authorities reported just 187 new coronavirus cases and 104 more deaths on Wednesday morning.
It was the lowest daily case report since May 31 and just the third time since April that fewer than 200 new cases were added in a day.
That put the state’s documented totals at 199,459 COVID-19 infections and 4,896 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Multiple key metrics about the severity of Arizona’s pandemic are at or near the lowest they’ve been in a month or more.
The rolling seven-day average for newly reported cases declined Tuesday to 621.86, the lowest seen since June 1, according to tracking by The Associated Press.
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The seven-day average of newly reported deaths dipped to 37.57, the lowest mark since July 8.
The seven-day average for new cases peaked July 6 at 3,844, and the stat for deaths reached a high of 94 on July 30.
The spread of coronavirus in Arizona has been slowing 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 close businesses such as bars and gyms and to restrict restaurant occupancy.
Those moves were made after the state became a global hot spot for the coronavirus, which 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.
For the 51,347 samples taken last week that have been processed and recorded, the positive rate is 5%, the lowest since the week starting May 10.
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The rate remained 5% for this week so far, but only 4,681 completed tests had been recorded as of Wednesday morning.
Weekly 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 reports 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 hospital data posted each morning, however, is reported the previous evening by the hospitals and shows coronavirus-related hospitalizations at or near their lowest points since May.
The number of Arizona’s confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients fell to 967 on Tuesday, the second fewest since May 28.
The number of COVID-19 patients in ICU beds fell to 305, the fewest since May 20.
COVID-19 inpatients peaked at 3,517 on July 13, and COVID-19 patients in ICU beds topped out at 970 the same day.
Overall, inpatient beds were 83% full on Tuesday, 3 points higher than the previous day. The inpatient occupancy rate peaked at 88% on July 9-10.
The ICU occupancy rate was 79%, 2 points higher than the previous day. It topped out at 91% on July 7.
Hospital bed data on the health department website does not include surge beds that have not been activated but can potentially increase capacity.
Below are Wednesday’s latest developments about the coronavirus pandemic from around the state, country and world:
- Thanks to falling COVID-19 rates in Arizona, travelers from the state are off the list of those required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut.
- Coronavirus testing is readily available in Arizona and usually completed within two days, according to Dr. Cara Christ, Arizona Department of Health Services director.
- The coronavirus-shortened spring training season produced about $364 million of economic impact in the state, the Cactus League said, nearly half of a previous full session.
- There were more than 23.9 million coronavirus cases and 820,000 deaths reported globally as of Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. For the U.S., there were more than 5.7 million cases and 178,000 deaths.
