Arizona reports 1,284 new COVID-19 cases, 29 additional deaths Wednesday
Mar 3, 2021, 8:25 AM | Updated: Mar 4, 2021, 7:58 am
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for March 3, 2021.
PHOENIX – Arizona public health officials on Wednesday reported 1,284 new coronavirus cases and 29 additional deaths from COVID-19.
The state’s documented totals were updated to 819,954 coronavirus infections and 16,089 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services’ COVID-19 dashboard.
Key metrics used to gauge the severity of the pandemic in the state are the lowest they’ve been in months.
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The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients in the state’s hospitals decreased to 1,165 on Tuesday, the fewest since Nov. 6. The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients fell to 381, the fewest since Nov. 15.
Arizona’s weekly percent positivity for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, an indicator of how much the virus is spreading in the community, is at a four-month low.
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Of the 79,927 people tested last week, 7% received a positive result, the lowest rate since mid-October. The current week’s rate was 6% through 8,958 people.
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 has plateaued over the last week and was 1,144.57 for Tuesday, according to tracking by The Associated Press, the lowest recorded weekly average since Oct. 29.
The seven-day average of newly reported deaths was 68.5, the lowest since Dec. 27.
After leading the nation in both categories earlier this year, Arizona now ranks in the middle of the pack among states and the District of Columbia for the rate of new cases but remains near the top in deaths.
In Tuesday’s update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Arizona was fifth in the nation for COVID-19 deaths per capita over the last seven days and 28th in cases.
The Arizona health department’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 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.
For details about statewide vaccine availability, the ADHS website has a vaccine-finder page with a map of locations and information about registration and eligibility.
Below are Wednesday’s latest developments about the coronavirus pandemic from around the state, country and world:
- The Navajo Nation reported 20 new coronavirus cases and three additional deaths, bringing the documented totals to 29,794 infections and 1,187 fatalities.
- The Republican-controlled Arizona House on Wednesday approved a measure that would let businesses ignore government mask mandates imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19.
- Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Wednesday ordered most of the state’s K-12 schools to provide in-person instruction within two weeks.
- Arizona’s state-run COVID-19 vaccination sites have shifted focus to doling out shots by age, leaving counties to determine when other priority groups become eligible.
- Arizona’s fourth state-run mass COVID-19 vaccination site, the first in the East Valley, opened at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.
- The Arizona Department of Health Services reported that 1,902,637 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the state, a day-over-day increase of 44,896, with 1,260,533 people having received at least one shot.
- Globally, there were about 114.88 million COVID-19 cases and 2.55 million deaths as of Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University research. The figures for the U.S. were around 28.72 million cases and 516,000 deaths.
