Arizona health department winds down daily COVID-19 dashboard updates

PHOENIX – In its final daily weekday COVID-19 update, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported 1,773 new cases and 55 additional deaths from the virus on Friday.

Today’s #COVID19 dashboard update 1,773 cases and 55 deaths.

Even if you have already had COVID-19, you should still get vaccinated to #StopTheSpread and stay protected from variants. More: https://t.co/q2kfD0sU6i pic.twitter.com/IqVzIXJc5E

— AZ Dept of Health (@AZDHS) February 25, 2022

That brought the state’s pandemic totals to 1,975,252 documented infections and 27,931 fatalities.

After a final daily report on Saturday, the state’s COVID-19 dashboard will be updated only on a weekly basis, starting Wednesday.

ADHS explained the change, which is supported by health care leaders across the state, in blog post last week.

“At least 34 states don’t do daily COVID-19 data reporting, according to the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and this new weekly cadence will align with other disease reporting in Arizona,” the post said.

“Weekly updates also will reduce understandable confusion that happens when variability in data inputs and-or processing result in an unusually high or low number of cases, deaths, or other information added to the dashboard on a given day.”

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Here’s the latest state data on the pandemic (hospital, case, death and testing statistics are based on Friday morning’s update of the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard; seven-day averages are based on tracking by The New York Times):

COVID-19 cases

• Documented pandemic total – 1,975,252
• Daily new reports – Friday: 1,773; One day earlier: 1,801; One week earlier: 3,054; Pandemic high: 27,681 (Jan. 22, 2022)
• Seven-day average – Thursday: 1,945; One day earlier: 2,085; One week earlier: 2,978; Pandemic high: 20,778 (Jan. 24, 2022)

COVID-19 deaths

• Documented pandemic total – 27,931
• Daily new reports – Friday: 55; One day earlier: 86; One week earlier: 115; Pandemic high: 335 (Jan. 12, 2021)
• Seven-day average – Thursday: 68; One day earlier: 86; One week earlier: 54; Pandemic high: 175 (Jan. 13, 2021)

COVID-19 hospitalizations

• COVID inpatients – Thursday: 1,366; One day earlier: 1,407; One week earlier: 1,867; Pandemic high: 5,082 (Jan. 11, 2021)
• COVID ICU patients – Thursday: 324; One day earlier: 335; One week earlier: 407; Pandemic high: 1,183 (Jan. 11, 2021)

Statewide hospital capacity

• Inpatients beds available – Thursday: 540 (6% of capacity); One day earlier: 573 (7%); One week earlier: 535 (6%)
• Percentage of inpatient beds with COVID patients – Thursday: 16%; One day earlier: 16%; One week earlier: 21%
• ICU beds available – Thursday: 143 (9% of capacity); One day earlier: 161 (10%); One week earlier: 149 (9%)
• Percentage of ICU beds with COVID patients – Thursday: 20%; One day earlier: 20%; One week earlier: 25%

Laboratory diagnostic testing

• Weekly percent positivity – Samples taken this week: 8%; Last week: 11%; Two weeks ago: 16%; Pandemic high (for a full week): 34% (Jan. 16-22, 2022)
• Find a testing site: ADHS (statewide)

Find a vaccine site

• ADHS (statewide); Maricopa County Public Health (metro Phoenix)

Additional details

The ADHS daily case and death updates can cover multiple days of reporting because of data processing procedures and aren’t meant to represent the actual activity over the previous 24 hours. The hospitalization numbers posted each morning are reported electronically the previous evening by hospitals across the state.

The actual caseload is likely higher than officially reported because ADHS data is based mainly on electronic laboratory reporting and doesn’t include results from home kits unless individuals report them to their health care providers.

Vaccines have proven to reduce the likelihood of a COVID infection causing serious illness or death, even with the highly contagious omicron variant. Booster shots provide additional protection and are approved for individuals who received their second Pfizer (ages 12 and up only) or Moderna doses at least five months ago or the Johnson & Johnson shot at least two months ago.

The minimum age for vaccination is 5 for Pfizer and 18 for Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.

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