Arizona has 5,028 new COVID-19 cases, 203 more deaths

This is a regularly updated story with the latest information about Coronavirus and its impact in Arizona. By January 29, 2021.

PHOENIX – Arizona health officials on Friday reported 5,028 new coronovirus cases and 203 additional deaths from COVID-19.

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services’ COVID-19 dashboard, the state’s documented totals were 748,260 infections and 13,022 fatalities.

According to Thursday’s update from the US Centers for Disease Control, Arizona continued to lead the nation in average cases per capita over the past seven days and slipped to No. 2 from Alabama for deaths.

The major matrix indicates that the surge in Arizona that began in November reflects national trends, but the virus is widespread throughout the state.

The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients from Arizona decreased to 3,970 on Thursday, the lowest since December 20. The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients declined to 1,002, the lowest on 26 December.

Statewide, COVID-19 patients accounted for 46% of all inpatient beds and 56% of all ICU beds on Thursday. Overall, inpatient beds and ICU beds were each at 91% of capacity.

Arizona’s weekly percentage positivity for the COVID-19 diagnostic test is an indicator of how much the virus is spreading in the community, recurring but remains at an adequate level.

Of the 49,788 people tested so far this week, 18% received a positive result, which would be the fourth consecutive weekly decline. For 154,860 people tested last week, the positive rate is 19%.

Official positivity rates occur when samples are taken, not when they are reported, as the percentage of recent weeks may fluctuate as labs are caught on test and the results are documented by the state.

According to tracking by the Associated Press, the state health department’s seven-day average for newly reported coronavirus cases stood at 6,184.29 on Thursday, the second-lowest mark on December 31. The seven-day average of newly reported COVID-19 deaths declined. At 149.57.

The state daily updates the state statistics after the current case, death and trial data, and confirms them, which may lag by several days or more. They do not represent actual activity in the last 24 hours.

Hospital data posted each morning is electronically reported by the 100 hospitals in the state the previous evening, as required under the executive order.

COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has no effect on some people and is severely debilitating or fatal to others. Infected people without symptoms – including but not limited to cough, fever and difficulty breathing – are capable of spreading the virus.

Clinical testing is available at hundreds of locations throughout Arizona and anyone with symptoms or who can be exposed to an infected person should be excluded. Information about places, programs and registration can be found on the website of the Department of Health Services.

The department also has a vaccine-finder page containing a map of active and pending locations and information about registration.

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Below are Friday’s latest developments about the coronovirus epidemic from the state, country and around the world:

• Johnson & Johnson’s long-awaited vaccine appears to protect against COVID-19 with just one shot – not as strong as some two-shot rivals, but still potentially useful.
• Doctors in Arizona are using monoclonal antibody therapy, a new COVID-19 treatment to help those at highest risk from hospitalization.
• Globally, there were about 101.58 million COVID-19 cases and 2.19 million deaths as of Friday morning, according to research from Johns Hopkins University. The US figures were around 25.77 million cases and 433,000 deaths.

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