Arizona reports 2,278 new COVID-19 cases, no additional deaths Monday
Sep 13, 2021, 8:34 AM
Medical staff in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at Three Rivers Asante Medical Center perform a chest X-ray on Sept. 9, 2021, in Grants Pass, Oregon. Like many hospitals in the state, Three Rivers Asante is facing their largest COVID-19 surge since the beginning of the pandemic, forcing them to operate well above capacity. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
(Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
PHOENIX – Arizona health officials on Monday reported 2,278 new COVID-19 cases and no additional deaths from the disease.
The latest documented totals are 1,050,878 infections and 19,187 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard.
The COVID-19 hospitalization numbers are about four times higher than they were before the state’s third wave started in early July, with people who aren’t fully vaccinated accounting for nearly all of the serious illnesses and deaths.
The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients in the state’s hospitals was 2,094 on Sunday, a decrease of nine from the previous day and the second-most since Feb. 14.
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The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients was 554, an increase of three from the previous day but 14 below the peak of the current wave.
COVID-19 patients took up 32% of the state’s ICU beds as of Sunday for the seventh consecutive day, according to the dashboard. At the peak of the winter surge in January, 66% of the state’s ICU beds were filled with COVID patients.
The positivity rate for COVID-19 diagnostic testing conducted last week was 12% as of Monday’s update, matching the previous week.
The dashboard also showed that 4,087,627 people (56.9% of the state’s population, based on 7,189,020 residents) have received at least one dose of vaccine in Arizona and 3,607,650 people are fully vaccinated (50.2% of the population). The nationwide rates are 63.1% with at least one dose and 53.8% fully vaccinated, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The state health department’s daily updates present case and death 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 numbers posted each morning are reported electronically the previous evening by hospitals across the state.
Free federally authorized vaccines are widely available and highly effective in preventing illness from COVID-19, including the more contagious delta variant that now accounts for most of the new cases in the U.S.
For details about statewide vaccine availability, the ADHS website has a vaccine-finder page with locations and other information.
For information about metro Phoenix vaccine availability, Maricopa County Public Health has a locator page that lists pharmacies, government-run sites, health clinics and pop-up distribution events. Appointments may be required depending on the provider.
The minimum age to receive the Pfizer shot is 12, and it’s 18 for the other available versions, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 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.
Information about where to get tested for COVID-19 can be found on the ADHS website.
