A doctor cares for a COVID-19 patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Providence St. Mary, amid an increase in COVID-19 patients in Southern California on December 23, 2020 in Apple Valley, California. (Photo by Mario Tama / Getty Images)
This is a periodically updated story with the latest information on coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond December 24, 2020.
PHOENIX – Arizona health officials reported 7,046 new coronavirus cases and 115 additional deaths on Thursday, while hospitalizations for COVID-19 hit a new high again.
The state’s documented total increased to 480,319 COVID-19 infections and 8,294 deaths, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services board.
Daily reports present data on cases, deaths and evidence 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.
Multiple metric COVID-19s in Arizona remain at or near pandemic highs.
The number of patients hospitalized at COVID-19 Hospital confirmed or suspected in Arizona rose to an all-time high of 4,221 on Wednesday, the eleventh daily record in 13 days.
The number of patients with COVID-19 in state ICU beds fell to 965, seven below the previous day’s record level and the third most recorded ever.
COVID-19 patients suspected or confirmed statewide occupied 50% of all hospital beds, a record, and 54% of all ICU beds.
Overall, hospital beds were 92% full and ICU beds had a pandemic record of 93%. The state had 132 unused ICU beds, up from a record low of 119 the day before.
Hospitalization data released each morning is communicated electronically the night before by 100 hospitals across the state, as required by executive order.
Arizona’s weekly positivity percentage for diagnostic tests for COVID-19, an indicator of how widespread the virus is to the community, was 23% across 29,603 tests during that week. If this is maintained, it will surpass the 21% record from the week beginning June 28th.
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 continuous average for recently reported cases from the health department was 6,293.43 for Wednesday, according to The Associated Press, compared to the previous day, but about 1,500 below the December 14 peak.
The seven-day average of recently reported COVID-19 deaths fell to 92.71 on Wednesday, a drop from the record high of 100.43 on Tuesday, but still the third-highest in history.
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 Thursday’s latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic across the state, the country and the world:
- House Republicans rejected a Democratic bid to pass President Donald Trump’s long-running demand at the end of the $ 2,000 session of direct payments to most Americans as he wondered if he would sign a U.S. relief bill. COVID-19, which was a long time ago.
- Globally, there were about 78.84 million cases of COVID-19 and 1.73 million deaths on Thursday morning, according to research from Johns Hopkins University. U.S. figures were about 18.47 million cases and 326,000 deaths.