Arizona reports 783 new COVID-19 cases, no additional deaths Monday
Mar 8, 2021, 8:26 AM | Updated: 2:43 pm
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for March 8, 2021.
PHOENIX – Arizona public health officials on Monday reported 783 new coronavirus cases, the smallest daily increase since Nov. 9, and no additional deaths from COVID-19.
The state’s documented totals were updated to 827,237 coronavirus infections and 16,328 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.
The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients in the state’s hospitals decreased to 919 on Sunday, the fewest since Nov. 1. The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients fell to 256, the fewest since Nov. 6.
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 five-month low.
Of the 71,630 people tested last week, 5% received a positive result, the lowest percent positivity since 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 seven-day average for the state health department’s newly reported coronavirus cases has been rising slowly in recent days and was 1,381.71 for Sunday, the highest it’s been since Feb. 26, according to tracking by The Associated Press.
The seven-day average of newly reported deaths, meanwhile, declined to 58.17, the lowest since Dec. 13.
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 COVID-19 vaccine availability, the ADHS website has a vaccine-finder page with a map of locations and information about registration and eligibility.
Below are Monday’s latest developments about the coronavirus pandemic from around the state, country and world:
- Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing, according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials.
- The Arizona Department of Health Services reported that 2,150,896 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the state, a day-over-day increase of 24,918, with 1,386,347 people (19.3% of the state’s population) having received at least one shot.
- An Arizona health expert said migraines or severe headaches could sometimes linger for weeks and possibly months for COVID-19 patients.
- Globally, there were about 116.94 million COVID-19 cases and 2.6 million deaths as of Monday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University research. The figures for the U.S. were around 29 million cases and 525,000 deaths.