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Coronavirus in Arizona on Sept. 19: 610 new cases, 16 new deaths reported Saturday

In an effort to track the changes with the coronavirus outbreak in Arizona, 12 News has started a daily live blog.

PHOENIX — In an effort to track the changes with the coronavirus outbreak in Arizona, 12 News has started a daily live blog.

Here is the live blog for Saturday, Sept. 19.

Major updates: 

  • There have been 213,551 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,467 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Saturday.
  • There were 610 new COVID cases and 16 additional deaths reported on Saturday.
  • The state does not record how many people have recovered, but Johns Hopkins University estimates the number of people who have recovered.
  • You can find COVID-19 testing sites here.
  • Scroll down to see how many cases are in each ZIP code and additional information.

610 new cases, 16 new deaths reported Saturday

The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 610 new cases and 16 additional deaths on Saturday.

There were 11,585 new tests reported. 

Health officials said Thursday the state will add a "significantly higher number of cases" over the next couple days due to a "a result of advancements in testing, and includes recently classified positive antigen cases dating back over the previous several months."

Health officials said the labs "include a large upload of PCR tests from ASU through ELR, resulting in the highest number of labs reported to date."

"Most of the labs being reported today are PCR tests, but we are also expanding how we define cases to include anyone with a positive antigen test in the probable case category," an AZDHS tweet read. 

In a statement, an Arizona State University spokesperson said Thursday it has been submitting its data to the state on a daily basis and regular schedule. 

"Our understanding is that today’s ADHS reporting reflects test results that the department did not previously report, dating back to cases in July and August, the majority of which represent ASU’s public and partner testing sites," the spokesperson said in an email. 

"Based on demographics of the cases reported as positive, it reflects a geography and age distribution representative of the entire county, not ASU students or employees."

Arizona reached 200,000 coronavirus cases on Aug. 27, 100,000 on July 6 and 50,000 cases on June 21. The state reached 5,000 coronavirus deaths on Aug. 29, 4,000 on Aug. 6, 3,000 deaths on July 23, 2,000 on July 9 and 1,000 on June 5.

Arizona's Rt, pronounced r-naught, was at 0.94 as of Wednesday, down from 0.97 on Tuesday.

The Rt is essentially a mathematical number that shows whether more people are becoming infected or less.

The concern is that any Rt over 1, no matter how small, means the virus may grow exponentially.

RELATED: This is the number that health officials are watching closely in the fight against COVID-19 (And you should too)

There were 5,505 cases reported on the collection date of June 29, the day with the most collected diagnoses so far. That is subject to change.

Health officials said the day with the highest number of reported deaths was July 17, when 97 people died. That is subject to change.

Health officials continued to stress that people should continue social distancing, wearing masks in public, and stay home when possible.

Arizona health department sets up hotline to report businesses

The Arizona Department of Health Services has set up two ways for people to report local businesses that are not following COVID-19 guidelines. 

People can report businesses through a hotline or through an online form:

“There’s a role for the public as well: If you believe a business isn’t following these requirements, which were established for the safety of customers, employees, and the broader public, ADHS encourages you to share your concerns so local and state officials can follow up as needed,” AZDHS said in a statement.

RELATED: Arizona’s health department wants you to report businesses that don’t enforce safety requirements

Free masks available for some Arizonans

The Arizona Department of Health Services announced that some Arizonans would be able to get free masks from the state.

The department partnered with Hanes to provide free face masks to Arizona’s most vulnerable populations.

Anyone who is part of a vulnerable population (including, but not limited to, individuals with medical conditions or individuals age 65 or older), a student (or parents on behalf of students), school staff member or who may not be able to purchase one is able to get a free mask.

Each other will provide five washable, reusable cloth face masks, one order per household. 

The department hopes to give out two million cloth face masks. 

Anyone with questions can visit the department's FAQs page or contact Hanes at 1-800-503-6698.

Sign up for the free masks here.

Arizona releases ZIP code locations of coronavirus cases, other data

The Arizona Department of Health Services has released expanded data points regarding coronavirus cases in the state. 

The AZDHS website now features the location of confirmed cases in Arizona by zip code. 

You can see the current ZIP code map here and can find yours by clicking around or searching for your ZIP code in the top right of the map.

Click on the links below to find more information from each county's health department: 

COVID-19 is believed to be primarily spread through coughs or sneezes. 

It may be possible for the virus to spread by touching a surface or object with the virus and then a person touching their mouth, nose or eyes, but this is not thought to be the main method of spread, the CDC says. 

You should consult your doctor if you traveled to an area currently affected by COVID-19 and feel sick with fever, cough or difficulty breathing. 

There is no vaccine for the coronavirus, so the best way to prevent COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases is to:

  • Wear face coverings while in public.
  • Practice social distancing while in public.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

You can text FACTS to 602-444-1212 to receive more information on the coronavirus and to ask questions.

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