Patients arrive for treatment in the emergency room of Roseland Community Hospital on December 15, 2020, in Chicago, Illinois. Approximately one-third of patients arriving in the emergency department at Roseland have symptoms of COVID-19. (Photo by Scott Olson / Getty Images)
This is a periodically updated story with the latest information on coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond December 16, 2020.
PHOENIX – Arizona health officials reported 4,848 new coronavirus cases and 108 additional deaths on Wednesday, while hospitalizations for COVID-19 continued at record levels.
The death report reported the largest daily increase since Aug. 12.
The state’s documented total increased to 429,219 COVID-19 infections and 7,530 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
In general, several COVID-19 metrics in Arizona are or are approaching the highest they have ever been.
The number of hospitalized patients confirmed or suspected of COVID-19 hospital in Arizona was up to 3,809 on Tuesday, the fifth consecutive day of registration.
The number of confirmed or suspected Arizona COVID-19 patients in ICU beds was 882 on Tuesday, most since July 19, and the 970 record was closed on July 13.
Statewide, 45% of all hospital beds and 51% of all ICU beds were filled on Tuesday with patients suspected or confirmed of COVID-19, rates that have steadily increased for about two months. . The percentage of hospital beds coincided with the pandemic peak as of July 13th.
Overall, hospital beds were filled by 92% and ICU beds by 91%. The remaining 689 hospital beds were the least recorded since the start of the pandemic.
Arizona’s weekly positivity percentage for diagnostic tests for COVID-19, an indicator of how far the virus is spreading in the community, is on track to reach record highs.
With 13,278 tests this week, the rate was 21%.
Last week’s positivity rate was 18%, the same as the previous week.
The positivity rate peaked at 21% in late June and dropped to 4% in 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.
The seven-day continued average of cases recently reported by the health department was 6,603.57 for Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, a drop from the previous day’s record level, but the second-highest in history. .
The average of seven days of recently reported deaths has kept pace with cases, but is rising this month. On Tuesday it was at 64.14, more than double from December 1st to the highest level since August 5th.
Daily reports from the Arizona Department of Health present case, death, and evidence data after the state receives and confirms statistics, which can take several days or more. They do not represent the actual activity during the last 24 hours.
Hospitalization data released each morning is communicated electronically the night before by 100 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.
Information about test sites can be found on the Arizona Department of Health Services website.
Below are Wednesday’s latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic across the state, the country and the world:
- An ICU nurse treating coronavirus patients at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix said the coronavirus vaccine is “a light at the end of the tunnel.”
- The Navajo nation, hard hit by the pandemic, said Tuesday it had just given the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Globally, there were approximately 73.64 million cases of COVID-19 and 1.64 million deaths as of Wednesday morning, according to research from Johns Hopkins University. U.S. figures were about 16.72 million cases and 304,000 deaths.