On February 26, 2021, a healthcare worker prepares a Modern COVID-19 vaccine in a sports hall in Ricany, Czech Republic. With new infections on the rise due to an extremely contagious coronavirus variant and hospitals full, one of the most difficult countries in the European Union is inevitably facing: a stricter closure. (AP Photo / Petr David Josek)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information on the coronavirus and its impact on Arizona and beyond for March 13, 2021.
PHOENIX – Arizona public health officials on Saturday reported 262 new cases of coronavirus and 27 additional deaths due to COVID-19.
The state’s documented totals have been updated to 832,094 coronavirus infections and 16,546 deaths, according to the Arizona Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard.
Key metrics used to determine the extent of the pandemic continue to improve and are the lowest in months, with more than 20% of Arizona’s population receiving at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients in hospitals in the state dropped to 814 on Friday, the lowest since October 31st. The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients has dropped to 238, the lowest since November 2nd.
The weekly percentage of Arizona in Arizona for COVID-19 diagnostic tests, an indication of how much the virus is spreading in the community, is at a five-month low.
Of the 44,457 people tested so far this week, 5% received a positive result. The rate for 77,971 people last week was 5%, the lowest since early October.
Official positivity rates are based on when the samples are taken, not when they are reported, so the percentage for recent weeks may vary as laboratories are caught up in the test and the results are documented by the state.
The Arizona Department of Health’s daily updates include current case, death, and testing data after the state receives and confirms statistics, which can be delayed by a few days or longer. It does not represent the actual activity during the last 24 hours.
The hospital data posted each morning is electronically reported the night before by hospitals across the state, as required by executive order.
COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has no effect on some people and is severely debilitating or deadly to others. Infected people without symptoms – which include coughing, fever and breathing problems – can spread the virus.
Diagnostic tests are available in hundreds of locations in Arizona and should be sought by someone with symptoms or who has been exposed to an infected person. Information on places, schedules and registration can be found on the website of the Department of Health Services.
For details on the availability of COVID-19 throughout the country, the ADHD website has a vaccinations page with a map with locations and information on registration and eligibility.
Below are Saturday’s latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic from across the state, country and world:
- The Navajo Nation reported 15 new cases of coronavirus and three additional deaths, bringing the documented total to 29,945 infections and 1,218 deaths.
- Worldwide, there were approximately 119.2 million COVID-19 cases and 2.64 million deaths worldwide on Saturday morning, according to research by Johns Hopkins University. The figures for the US were about 29.34 million cases and 532,500 deaths.