(AP Photo / Ross D. Franklin, file)
This is a regularly updated story with the latest information on the coronavirus and its impact in Arizona and beyond for January 30, 2021.
PHOENIX – Arizona health officials on Saturday reported 5,119 new cases of coronavirus and 76 additional deaths due to COVID-19.
According to the COVID-19 dashboard of Arizona, the total numbers drawn moved to 753,379 infections and 13,098 deaths.
As of Friday’s update of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Arizona has continued to lead the country per capita in average cases over the past seven days, slipping behind Alabama to No. 2 in deaths.
Key metrics indicate that the massive boom in Arizona that began in November is past its peak, reflecting national trends, but the virus is still widespread in the state.
The number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 inpatients in Arizona dropped to 3,828 on Friday, the lowest since December 20th. The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients has dropped to 984, the lowest since December 26th.
Across the country, COVID-19 patients admitted 44% of all beds and 55% of all ICU beds on Friday. Overall, indoor beds were 90% full and ICU beds 92% of capacity.
Arizona’s weekly percentage of positivity for COVID-19 diagnostic tests, an indication of how much the virus is spreading in the community, is declining but remains at a significant level.
Of the 72,626 people tested so far this week, 17% received a positive result, which would be the fourth consecutive weekly decline. For 154,860 people tested last week, the positive rate is 19%.
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.
According to the Associated Press report, the second lowest point on December 31, the seven-day average for the newly reported coronavirus cases was at 5,745.57 for Friday. The seven-day average of newly reported COVID-19 deaths decreased to 145.86.
The state’s daily updates provide the current case, death and testing data after the state receives and confirms statistics, which may 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 100 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.
The department also has a vaccination finder page with a map of active and pending locations and registration information.
Below are Friday’s latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic from across the state, country and world:
- Worldwide, there were approximately 102.17 million COVID-19 cases and 2.21 million deaths as of Friday morning, according to research by Johns Hopkins University. The figures for the US were about 25.93 million cases and 436,839 deaths.