Arizona reports 1,123 new COVID-19 cases, 108 additional deaths Tuesday

PHOENIX – Arizona health officials on Tuesday reported the fewest new cases of September because of a data lag but one of the largest daily death counts in months.

The Arizona Department of Health Services added 1,123 cases and 108 deaths to its COVID-19 dashboard but said the case numbers aren’t caught up.

Today’s #COVID19 dashboard update adds 1,123 cases and 108 deaths. Case counts are expected to increase tomorrow due to data-processing catch-up from the weekend. Watch trends by using the curves on the COVID-19 Cases by Day & COVID-19 deaths dashboards. https://t.co/wArQmdY04H pic.twitter.com/swiR3aIgHD

— AZ Dept of Health (@AZDHS) September 28, 2021

“Because of a reporting problem over the weekend that has been corrected, cases added to the dashboard today are lower than they’d otherwise be,” ADHS spokesman Steve Elliott said in an email.

“Expect cases added to the dashboard … Wednesday and Thursday to be higher as a result. The number of deaths added today isn’t affected.”

The latest documented pandemic totals are 1,087,451 infections and 19,920 fatalities, according to the dashboard.

Tuesday’s 108 deaths were tied for the second-most in a day since 121 on Feb. 25. The only larger update since then was 117 on Sept. 14.

COVID-19 hospitalizations have been easing downward recently, 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 Monday was 1,794, same as the previous day, matching the lowest level since Aug. 18.

The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients jumped to 550, up 21 from the previous day and the most since Sept. 17.

COVID-19 patients took up 31% of the state’s ICU beds as of Tuesday’s dashboard update, up 1 percentage point from the previous day. 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%, up 1 point from the previous week.

The dashboard also showed that 4,167,694 people (58% of the state’s population, based on 7,189,020 residents) have received at least one dose of vaccine in Arizona and 3,688,077 people are fully vaccinated (51.3% of the population). The nationwide rates are 64.4% with at least one dose and 55.4% 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 serious illness and death from COVID-19, including the predominant and more contagious delta variant.

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.

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