Arizona reports 3,015 new coronavirus cases, adds 17 deaths
Nov 13, 2020, 8:25 AM | Updated: 9:21 pm
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for Friday, Nov. 13.
PHOENIX – Arizona health authorities on Friday reported 3,015 new coronavirus cases with 17 additional deaths.
That put Arizona’s documented totals at 269,577 COVID-19 infections and 6,257 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
It was the second time this week with a daily case report above 3,000, a mark that previously hadn’t been surpassed since July 31.
Key pandemic metrics have been rising in Arizona at a rate not seen since the first wave hit in June and July. Cases have been surging since the beginning of October, and deaths started on the same course about three weeks later.
The number of Arizona’s confirmed or suspected COVID-19 hospital inpatients increased overnight to 1,381 on Thursday. That’s 136% higher than Oct. 1, when it was 586, and the most since Aug. 12.
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The number of COVID-19 patients in ICU beds increased to 335 on Thursday, 168% above the Oct. 1 mark of 125 and the most since Aug. 21.
The hospitalizations remain well below 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, has reached its highest level in three months.
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The weekly rate so far this week through 40,513 tests recorded was 10%, which would be the highest since it was the same mark for the week starting July 26.
The rate, which peaked at 20% at the end of June, was at 9% for 113,232 tests recorded from last week.
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 rolling seven-day average for the state health department’s newly reported cases dipped to 1970.57 for Thursday, according to tracking by The Associated Press, but has been on a steep upward trajectory. That’s 311% higher than the Oct. 1 mark of 480 and the second-highest average since Aug. 6.
The seven-day average of newly reported deaths was 21.86 after declining Thursday for the fourth consecutive day. That’s still a 159% increase from one week earlier.
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 for a few months 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.
Below are Friday’s latest developments about the coronavirus pandemic from around the state, country and world:
- The Navajo Nation reported 97 new coronavirus cases and 2 deaths, bringing the documented totals to 13,069 infections and 598 deaths.
- Dr. Cara Christ told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show that schools should continue with in-person instruction if possible, even as case numbers begin to surge again in the state and districts return to virtual learning.
- A New Mexico man who contracted COVID-19 believes it’s a miracle that he’s still alive after undergoing a double-lung transplant at a Phoenix hospital.
- Globally, there were more than 52.89 million COVID-19 cases and 1.29 million deaths as of Friday morning, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The figures for the U.S. were around 10.56 million cases and 242,000 deaths.
