Arizona reports 2,383 new coronavirus cases, 2 more deaths
Nov 15, 2020, 8:27 AM | Updated: 2:58 pm
(AP Photo/ Dar Yasin)
(AP Photo/ Dar Yasin)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for Sunday, Nov. 15.
PHOENIX – Arizona health officials on Sunday reported 2,383 new coronavirus cases with two additional deaths.
Those metrics put the state’s documented totals at 275,436 COVID-19 infections and 6,302 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Sunday’s report ends a two-day stretch of more than 3,000 reported coronavirus cases. The count eclipsed that mark three times last week, the first time that many cases had been reported in a day 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 1,506 on Saturday, the most since Aug. 10. On Oct. 1, it was 586.
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The number of COVID-19 patients in ICU beds increased to 368 on Saturday, well above the Oct. 1 mark of 125 and the most since Aug. 19.
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 last week through 72,163 tests recorded was 10%, 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 the week before last.
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 2,238.43 for Saturday, according to tracking by The Associated Press.
The seven-day average of newly reported deaths was 21.86 on Saturday, a small bump up from Friday and the same number as Thursday. The average started the month at 15.21 and on Nov. 8 had increased to 26.14.
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 Sunday’s latest developments about the coronavirus pandemic from around the state, country and world:
- The Pac-12 Conference announced Sunday it has canceled Arizona State football’s upcoming game scheduled for Nov. 21 against the Colorado due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
- Globally, there were more than 54.05 million COVID-19 cases and 1.31 million deaths as of Sunday morning, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The figures for the U.S. were around 10.91 million cases and 245,615 deaths.
