Arizona officials expect ‘unusually high’ COVID-19 death, case report Tuesday
Oct 18, 2021, 9:01 AM
One Betta, a Dutch Shepard, sniffs a mask for the scent of COVID-19 at Miami International Airport on Sept. 8, 2021, in Miami, Florida. Miami International Airport COVID-19 detection canines will be used to screen employees at their entry checkpoints in a 30 day pilot study. The dogs trained at Florida International University’s International Forensic Research Institute, have a detector accuracy rate from 96 to 99 percent in published peer-reviewed, double-blind trials. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Health Services didn’t add new cases or deaths to its COVID-19 dashboard Sunday or Monday because of a scheduled system update.
As a result, Tuesday’s update will include three days’ worth of reporting for those categories.
“So there most likely will be an unusually high number of additions that morning,” Interim Health Director Don Herrington said in a blog post last week. “We expect daily additions to get back to normal levels in the days after.”
The dashboard’s most recent full update, which occurred Saturday morning, showed totals of 1,131,976 COVID-19 cases and 20,500 deaths.
Although daily tracking was paused for new cases and deaths, the number of current COVID-related hospitalizations was updated Monday.
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The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients in the state’s hospitals as of Sunday was 1,671, up two from the previous day but more than 400 below the high point of the July-September surge.
The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients was 474, down seven from the previous day and nearly 100 below the latest wave’s peak.
The hospitalization numbers posted each morning are reported electronically the previous evening by hospitals across the state.
The vaccination section also has been updated. The dashboard on Monday showed 4,191,394 people having received at least one dose (58.3% of the state’s population of 7,189,020), based on county of residence totals, and 3,673,884 fully vaccinated (51%). The latest national rates were 65.9% for at least one dose and 57% for full vaccination, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In August, unvaccinated people nationwide were 6.1 times more likely to get infected and 11.3 times more likely to die than people who were fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
Free federally authorized vaccines are widely available. The minimum age to receive the Pfizer shot is 12, and it’s 18 for the other available versions, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
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.
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.
