FILE — In this July 30, 2021 file photo, Bradley Sharp, of Saratoga, N.Y., gets the Johnson & Johnson vaccine from registered nurse Stephanie Wagner, in New York. Sharp needs the vaccination because it is required by his college. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
PHOENIX – Arizona health officials on Tuesday reported 1,974 new COVID-19 cases and 30 additional deaths from the disease.
It was the largest daily update for deaths since April 20.
The latest documented totals are 933,361 infections and 18,282 fatalities, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard.
Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 have more than doubled since the start of July, with unvaccinated people accounting for almost all of the serious illnesses and deaths.
The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients in the state’s hospitals increased by 38 overnight to 1,207 on Monday, the most since Feb. 28 and an increase of 128% since July 1.
The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients decreased by five to 293, the fewest since July 26 but 115% higher than July 1.
The percent positivity for diagnostic testing conducted last week was 15% as of Tuesday’s update, the highest since January.
The dashboard also showed that 3,758,090 people (52.3% of the state’s population, based on 7,189,020 residents) have received at least one dose of vaccine in Arizona and 3,349,896 people are fully vaccinated (46.6% of the population). Arizona trails the nationwide rates of 57.8% with at least one dose and 49.7% 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.