Arizona reports 1,527 new coronavirus cases, two additional deaths

This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for Sunday, Nov. 1.

PHOENIX – Arizona health authorities reported 1,527 new coronavirus cases and two additional deaths on Sunday morning.

That put the state’s documented totals at 247,473 COVID-19 infections and 5,981 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Key metrics about the severity of Arizona’s pandemic have dropped dramatically from summertime peaks, but cases and hospitalizations have been trending upward this month. Deaths, however, have not seen a similar rise.

It was the seventh time this week with more than 1,000 cases in a daily report. Before this week, that level had been reached only two times in the prior five weeks.

The number of Arizona’s confirmed or suspected COVID-19 hospital inpatients dropped by 14 overnight to 875 on Saturday.

The number of COVID-19 patients in ICU beds increased to 222, the most since Sept. 10.

The hospitalizations remain far under the pandemic highs of 3,517 inpatients and 970 ICU patients, both recorded July 13.

Arizona’s weekly percent positivity for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, an indicator of how much the virus is spreading in the community, is on pace for its highest level in more than two months.

It was 9.7% for 66,103 tests recorded this week, which would be the highest since it was 8% for the week starting Aug. 2.

For the 85,875 tests recorded last week, the positivity rate was 6%.

The rate had been as high as 20% at the end of June.

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 rolling seven-day average for the state health department’s newly reported cases was at 1,310.57 for Saturday, according to tracking by The Associated Press, the highest since Aug. 12 and more than double the figure of 480 from Oct. 1.

The seven-day average of newly reported deaths, however, is nearly half of what it was at the start of the month. It was 15.71 on Saturday, the first time it’s been in double digits since the week of Oct. 21. It was 16.43 on Oct. 1.

The seven-day averages remain well below their peaks of 3,844 cases on July 6 and 94 fatalities on July 30.

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 is reported the previous evening by the hospitals.

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 slowed after those steps were taken. All of Arizona’s counties have since hit benchmarks established by the health department that allow closed 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.

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

• Two Arizona Cardinals players tested positive for coronavirus this weekend, according to reports.
• Research group WalletHub.com has determined in a recent study that ranks Phoenix sixth in people with the most financial distress during COVID-19.

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