Arizona reports 3,476 new coronavirus cases, 43 more deaths
Nov 14, 2020, 8:35 AM | Updated: 9:03 pm
EL PASO, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 13: A frontline healthcare worker administers a swab test at a COVID-19 testing site amid a surge of coronavirus cases on November 13, 2020 in El Paso, Texas. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for Saturday, Nov. 14.
PHOENIX – Arizona health officials on Saturday reported 3,476 new coronavirus cases with 43 additional deaths.
Those metrics put the state’s documented totals at 273,053 COVID-19 infections and 6,300 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
It was the third 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, while 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 1,470 on Friday. On Oct. 1, it was 586, and the most since Aug. 12.
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The number of COVID-19 patients in ICU beds increased to 362 on Friday, well 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.
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 rose to 2116.14 for Friday, according to tracking by The Associated Press.
The seven-day average of newly reported deaths was 21.14 after declining Friday for the fourth consecutive day. That’s still over a 100% 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 Saturday’s latest developments about the coronavirus pandemic from around the state, country and world:
- After closing in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Marquee Theatre in Tempe is set to partially reopen in December.
- The city of Peoria will allow restaurants and bars to expand outdoor seating patios in an effort to help local establishments amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- The city of Tempe did not approve permits for Ironman Arizona and the Tempe Festival of the Arts, citing coronavirus concerns.
- The Navajo Nation reported 172 new coronavirus cases and no recent deaths, bringing the documented totals to 13,249 infections and 598 deaths.
- Globally, there were more than 53.51 million COVID-19 cases and 1.3 million deaths as of Saturday morning, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The figures for the U.S. were around 10.75 million cases and 244,000 deaths.
