Arizona reports 1,567 new coronavirus cases, no additional deaths
Dec 7, 2020, 8:30 AM | Updated: 5:16 pm
A saliva sample for ASU Biodesign Institute COVID-19 testing. (KTAR News Photo)
(KTAR News Photo)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for Dec. 7, 2020.
PHOENIX – Arizona health authorities on Monday reported 1,567 new coronavirus cases, breaking a four-day streak above 5,000, with no additional deaths.
That put the state’s documented totals at 365,843 COVID-19 infections and 6,950 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Coming out of the weekend, when reporting can be delayed, Monday COVID-19 updates have consistently had lower numbers than other days of the week.
Overall, multiple COVID-19 metrics in Arizona are at or approaching the highest they’ve been since the start of the pandemic.
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The number of Arizona’s confirmed or suspected COVID-19 hospital inpatients was 3,059 on Sunday. That’s a 33% increase since Thanksgiving, when it was 2,301, and the most since July 21.
The number of COVID-19 inpatients peaked July 13 at 3,517 and fell afterward as low as 468 on Sept. 27.
The number of Arizona’s confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients in ICU beds was 736 on Sunday. That’s a 38% increase since Thanksgiving, when it was 532, and the most since July 29.
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The number of COVID-19 patients in ICU beds peaked July 13 at 970 and fell afterward as low as 114 on Sept. 22.
Statewide, 35% of all inpatient beds and 42% of all ICU beds were filled with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients on Sunday, levels last seen in July. Overall, inpatient beds were 90% filled and ICU beds were 92% filled, both matching pandemic highs.
Only 143 ICU beds in the state were unused Sunday, the lowest remaining amount of the pandemic.
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 nearly five months.
As of Monday, the positivity rate was 17% for the 128,248 tests reported from last week, which would be the highest since it was 19% for the week starting July 5.
The positivity rate peaked at 21% at the end of June and was down to 4% as recently as early October.
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 health department’s newly reported cases was at 5,468.71 for Sunday, according to tracking by The Associated Press, setting a record for the fourth consecutive day.
During the first wave of the pandemic in Arizona, when testing was less available than it is now, the seven-day case average got as high as 3,844 on July 6 and afterward fell as low as 373.14 on Sept. 12.
The seven-day average of newly reported deaths had been relatively stable compared to the case counts but has been surging recently. It was up to 45.14 for Sunday, a 72% increase since Thanksgiving and the highest mark since Aug. 18.
The seven-day death average peaked July 30 at 94 and fell afterward as low as 5.57 on Oct. 14.
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.
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.
Information about testing locations can be found on the Arizona Department of Health Services website.
Below are Monday’s latest developments about the coronavirus pandemic from around the state, country and world:
- Arizona’s statewide COVID-19 policy restricts what cities can do when it comes to battling the current surge of cases and hospitalizations, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said.
- The University of Arizona will require anyone visiting campus next semester to have a negative test for COVID-19 within the previous week.
- Globally, there were about 67.2 million COVID-19 cases and 1.54 million deaths as of Monday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University research. The figures for the U.S. were around 14.76 million cases and 282,000 deaths.
- The Navajo Nation reported 213 new coronavirus cases and 15 additional deaths, bringing the documented totals to 18,163 infections and 682 fatalities.
