ARIZONA NEWS
Arizona reports 733 new COVID-19 cases, 26 additional deaths Wednesday
PHOENIX – Arizona public health officials on Wednesday reported 733 new coronavirus cases and 26 additional deaths from COVID-19.
About 200 of the new cases were a backlog spanning the entire pandemic from one lab, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
The state’s latest documented totals were 841,811 COVID-19 infections and 16,967 fatalities, according to the ADHS COVID-19 dashboard.
The dashboard also showed that 3,358,642 vaccine doses have been administered in the state, with 2,124,243 people (29.5% of the state’s population) having received at least one shot and 1,322,439 people fully vaccinated.
The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients in the state’s hospitals increased to 592 on Tuesday, the most since March 25. The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients dipped to 164, the third-fewest since Oct. 21.
The state 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.
COVID-19 vaccine eligibility has been extended to all adults at state-run sites and other points of dispensing in Maricopa County, with the age cutoff set at 16 for the Pfizer shot and 18 for Moderna or Johnson & Johnson versions.
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.
For information about metro Phoenix vaccine availability, Maricopa County Public Health has an interactive map that lists pharmacies, government-run sites, health clinics and pop-up distribution events.