Zhaequan Brown, 19, gets the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Lehman High School, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in New York. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging everyone in K-12 schools to wear a mask when they return to class, regardless of vaccination status. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
PHOENIX – Arizona health officials on Friday reported 1,965 new COVID-19 cases, the most in a day in nearly five months, and 24 additional deaths from the disease.
It was the largest daily case update since 2,276 on March 5 and second-biggest since Feb. 20.
The latest documented totals were 925,169 infections and 18,224 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard.
Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 have soared this month, with unvaccinated people accounting for almost all of the serious illnesses and deaths, according to health officials.
The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients in the state’s hospitals increased by 53 overnight to 1,072 on Thursday, the most since March 3 and double the amount on July 1.
The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients dipped by 29 to 306, the third-most since March 4 and an increase of 125% since July 1.
The percent positivity for diagnostic testing conducted last week was 13% as of Friday’s update, the highest since late January. It was 15% so far for this week’s testing.
The dashboard also showed that 3,740,682 people (52% of the state’s population, based on 7,189,020 residents) have received at least one dose of vaccine in Arizona and 3,341,364 people are fully vaccinated (46.5% of the population). Arizona trails the nationwide rates of 57.2% with at least one dose and 49.4% fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The state health department’s daily updates present case and death data after the state receives statistics and confirms them, which can lag by several days or more. They don’t represent the actual activity over the past 24 hours. The hospitalization numbers posted each morning are reported electronically the previous evening by hospitals across the state.
Free federally authorized vaccines are widely available and highly effective in preventing illness from COVID-19, including the more contagious delta variant that now accounts for most of the new cases in the U.S.
For details about statewide vaccine availability, the ADHS website has a vaccine-finder page with locations and other information.
For information about metro Phoenix vaccine availability, Maricopa County Public Health has a locator page that lists pharmacies, government-run sites, health clinics and pop-up distribution events.
Appointments may be required depending on the provider, but many accept walk-ins.
The minimum age to receive the Pfizer shot has been reduced to 12, but it’s still 18 for the other approved versions, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, has no impact on some people and is seriously debilitating or fatal for others. Infected people without symptoms — which include but are not limited to cough, fever and difficulty breathing — are capable of spreading the virus.
Information about where to get tested for COVID-19 can be found on the ADHS website.