Arizona reports 457 new coronavirus cases, 35 additional deaths
Sep 26, 2020, 8:29 AM
(AP Photo/Francois Mori)
(AP Photo/Francois Mori)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information, news and updates about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for Friday, Sept. 25.
PHOENIX – Arizona health authorities reported 457 new coronavirus cases and 35 more deaths on Saturday morning.
That put the state’s documented totals at 216,826 COVID-19 infections and 5,622 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Multiple key metrics about the severity of Arizona’s pandemic, including coronavirus-related hospitalizations, are at or near the lowest they’ve been in months.
The number of Arizona’s confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients fell to 509 on Friday, among the fewest since early April.
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The number of COVID-19 patients in ICU beds dipped to 115, the lowest mark recorded during the pandemic.
COVID-19 inpatients peaked at 3,517 on July 13, and COVID-19 patients in ICU beds topped out at 970 the same day.
Arizona’s weekly positive rate for COVID-19 diagnostic testing is on pace to be at 4% for the fourth consecutive week, with 40,272 tests completed this week.
The positive rate had been as high as 20% at the end of June.
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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 hospitalization data posted each morning, however, is reported the previous evening by the hospitals.
The rolling seven-day average for newly reported cases dropped by about 170 to 489.29 through Friday, according to tracking by The Associated Press, the lowest since a backlog of results from a recently authorized diagnostic testing process were reported last week.
The seven-day average of newly reported cases peaked at 3,844 on July 6.
The seven-day average of newly reported deaths was relatively steady at 19.43 through Friday, well below the July 30 peak of 94.
As cases skyrocketed in June, local governments in many parts of Arizona — including all of Maricopa County — implemented face mask requirements, and Gov. Doug Ducey issued statewide executive orders to close certain businesses and restrict restaurant occupancy.
The spread of COVID-19 soon slowed and has been steadily falling since the peak of the pandemic. Much of the state has hit benchmarks established by the health department that allow certain businesses to reopen under capacity restrictions and other regulations.
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.
