A health worker prepares a Modern COVID-19 vaccine in a sports hall in Ricany, Czech Republic, on Friday, February 26, 2021. With new infections rising due to a highly contagious variant of the coronavirus and filling hospitals, one of the most affected countries in the European Union inevitably face: a narrower closure. (Photo by AP / Petr David Josek)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information on coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond March 13, 2021.
PHOENIX – Arizona public health officials reported 262 new coronavirus cases and an additional 27 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday.
The state’s documented total was upgraded to 832,094 coronavirus infections and 16,546 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services ’COVID-19 board.
The key state metrics used to assess the extent of the pandemic continue to improve and are the lowest they have been in months and more than 20% of the Arizona population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 confirmed or suspected at state hospitals fell Friday to 814, the lowest since Oct. 31.
Arizona’s weekly positivity percentage for diagnostic tests for COVID-19, an indicator of how widespread the virus is in the community, is at a minimum of five months.
Of the 44,457 people tested so far this week, 5% got a positive result. The rate of 77,971 people last week was 5%, the lowest since early October.
Official positivity rates are based on when samples are taken, not when they are reported, so the percentage in recent weeks may fluctuate as labs catch up on testing. and the state documents the results.
Daily updates from the Arizona Department of Health present case, death, and test data after the state receives and confirms statistics, which can be delayed for several days or more. They do not represent the actual activity during the last 24 hours.
Hospitalization data released each morning is reported electronically the previous evening to hospitals across the state, as required by executive order.
COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has no impact on some people and is severely debilitating or deadly to others. Asymptomatic infected people, which include, among other things, cough, fever, and difficulty breathing, are able to spread the virus.
Diagnostic tests are available at hundreds of sites across Arizona and should be looked for by anyone with symptoms or who may have been exposed to an infected person. Information on locations, times, and registration can be found on the Department of Health Services website.
For details on the state availability of COVID-19 vaccines, the ADHS website has a vaccine search page with a site map and registration and eligibility information.
Below are the latest developments on Saturday on the coronavirus pandemic across the state, the country and the world:
- The Navajo nation reported 15 new cases of coronavirus and three additional deaths, bringing the total to 29,945 infections and 1,218 fatalities.
- Globally, there were approximately 119.2 million cases of COVID-19 and 2.64 million deaths as of Saturday morning, according to research from Johns Hopkins University. U.S. figures were about 29.34 million cases and 532,500 dead.