Arizona reports 5,028 new COVID-19 cases, 203 more deaths
Jan 29, 2021, 8:26 AM | Updated: 7:49 pm
Doctor Jule Teufel stands at the bar to place a throat and nose swab sample into a plastic vial of solution for a rapid antigen COVID-19 test for a young woman who had just left at a testing station in Kreuzberg district in Die Lilie cafe and bar, which is otherwise temporarily closed during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, on January 29, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for Jan. 29, 2021.
PHOENIX – Arizona health officials on Friday reported 5,028 new coronavirus cases and 203 additional deaths from COVID-19.
The state’s documented totals moved to 748,260 infections and 13,022 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services’ COVID-19 dashboard.
As of Thursday’s update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Arizona continued to lead the nation in average cases per capita over the last seven days and slipped behind Alabama to No. 2 in deaths.
RELATED STORIES
Key metrics indicate that the massive surge in Arizona that started in November is past its peak, mirroring national trends, but the virus remains widespread across the state.
The number of Arizona’s confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients fell to 3,970 on Thursday, the fewest since Dec. 20. The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients dropped to 1,002, the fewest since Dec. 26.
RELATED STORIES
Statewide, COVID-19 patients took up 46% of all inpatient beds and 56% of all ICU beds on Thursday. Overall, inpatient beds and ICU beds were at 91% of capacity each.
Arizona’s weekly percent positivity for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, an indicator of how much the virus is spreading in the community, has been receding but remains at a substantial level.
Of the 49,788 people tested so far this week, 18% received a positive result, which would be the fourth consecutive weekly decline. For 154,860 people tested last week, the positive rate is 19%.
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 6,184.29 for Thursday, according to tracking by The Associated Press, the second-lowest mark Dec. 31. The seven-day average of newly reported COVID-19 deaths declined to 149.57.
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.
Below are Friday’s latest developments about the coronavirus pandemic from around the state, country and world:
- The COVID-19 variant that spreads at a faster rate has been detected in Arizona, health officials said in a press release Friday night.
- Ironwood High School has paused in-person learning through Feb. 9 amid COVID-19 concerns, the Peoria Unified School District announced on Friday.
- The Navajo Nation reported 83 new coronavirus cases and 11 additional deaths, bringing the documented totals to 28,075 infections, including five delayed reported cases, and 1,011 fatalities.
- Johnson & Johnson’s long-awaited vaccine appears to protect against COVID-19 with just one shot – not as strong as some two-shot rivals but still potentially helpful.
- Doctors in Arizona are using monoclonal antibody therapy, a new COVID-19 treatment that’s meant to help keep the most at-risk from being hospitalized.
- Globally, there were about 101.58 million COVID-19 cases and 2.19 million deaths as of Friday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University research. The figures for the U.S. were around 25.77 million cases and 433,000 deaths.
