Arizona reports 4,748 new COVID-19 cases, 209 more deaths

This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for Jan. 26, 2021.

PHOENIX – Arizona health officials on Tuesday reported 4,748 new coronavirus cases, the lowest one-day increase of the new year, and 209 additional deaths from COVID-19.

The state’s documented totals moved to 732,643 infections and 12,448 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services’ COVID-19 dashboard.

The last time fewer cases were reported in a day was Dec. 29, with 2,799.

As of Monday’s update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Arizona continued to lead the nation in average cases and deaths per capita over the last seven days.

However, as is happening around the country, the winter coronavirus wave has started to recede in Arizona.

The number of Arizona’s confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients fell for the seventh consecutive day to 4,221 on Monday, the fewest since Dec. 26. The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients crept up by one overnight to 1,028, the second-fewest since Dec. 27.

Statewide, suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients took up 49% of all inpatient beds and 57% of all ICU beds on Monday. Overall, inpatient beds were at 90% of capacity and ICU beds at 91%.

Arizona’s weekly percent positivity for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, an indicator of how much the virus is spreading in the community, has fallen for three consecutive weeks but remains at a substantial level.

Of the 147,994 people tested last week, 19% received a positive result, the lowest rate since the week starting Dec. 13.

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 seven-day average for the state health department’s newly reported coronavirus cases was at 6,944.71 for Monday, according to tracking by The Associated Press, down slightly from the previous day and the second-lowest mark since Jan. 2.

The seven-day average of newly reported COVID-19 deaths declined to 139.14 for Monday, the second-lowest since Jan. 8.

The state’s daily updates 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 electronically the previous evening by 100 hospitals across the state, as required under executive order.

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.

Diagnostic testing is available at hundreds of locations across Arizona and should be sought out by anybody with symptoms or who may have been exposed to an infected person. Information about locations, schedules and registration can be found on the Department of Health Services website.

The department also has a vaccine-finder page with a map of active and pending locations and information about registration.

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

• Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio is in quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus, he confirmed to KTAR News 92.3 FM on Tuesday.
• The Navajo Nation reported 87 new coronavirus cases and eight additional deaths, bringing the documented totals to 27,665 infections and 985 fatalities.
• Less than half of the million-plus COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated to Arizona by the federal government as of Tuesday have made their way into people’s arms.
• One year ago on Jan. 26, Arizona reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case. The disease has claimed the lives of more than 12,000 Arizonans since then.
• Arizona added $1 million to a state program helping restaurants with coronavirus safety measures.
• A Phoenix nurse told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show that her intensive care unit is seeing plenty of young, healthy patients who are extremely ill or dying from COVID-19.
• Mesa Public Schools is offering COVID-19 vaccines this week at several of its campuses in partnership with the Mesa Fire and Medical Department.
• Dan Volco of the Phoenix Fire Department has responded to countless COVID-related 911 calls since the pandemic began. But he never thought he would be the one to end up sick in the hospital.
• Globally, there were about 99.83 million COVID-19 cases and 2.14 million deaths as of Tuesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University research. The figures for the U.S. were around 25.3 million cases and 421,000 deaths.

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