x
Breaking News
More () »

Coronavirus in Arizona on Oct. 21: 975 new cases, 17 new deaths reported Wednesday

There have been 233,912 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,854 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Wednesday.

PHOENIX — Editor's note: Here's the live blog for Oct. 22.

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 Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Major updates: 

  • There have been 233,912 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,854 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Wednesday.
  • 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.

COVID-19 cases reported in Arizona on Wednesday

There have been 233,912 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,854 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Wednesday.

That is an increase from the 232,937 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,837 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Tuesday.

A week ago, there were 227,635 cases and 5,772 deaths reported in Arizona.

LEER EN ESPANOL: Coronavirus en Arizona el 21 de octubre: 975 casos nuevos y 17 decesos se reportan el miércoles

975 new cases, 17 new deaths reported Wednesday

The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 975 new cases and 17 new deaths on Wednesday.

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 1.16 on Wednesday, up from 1.10 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 5,463 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 100 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.

Scottsdale school officials respond to COVID-19 outbreak

Scottsdale school officials are working closely with the Maricopa County Health Department to handle a recent COVID-19 outbreak among students and staff.

Team 12's Jen Wahl has the latest.

RELATED: More than 200 families to quarantine from Chaparral High School due to COVID-19 exposure

Kingman repeals mask requirement imposed to fight COVID-19

Kingman has joined two other Mohave County cities in repealing a local mask mandate imposed to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The Miner newspaper reports that the Kingman City Council voted 4-3 on Tuesday to repeal the requirement that people over age 6 wear face coverings when entering places of business. 

Mayor Jen Miles had extended Kingman’s requirement in late August through 2020, and the council voted 5-2 in September to keep the proclamation in effect through Tuesday pending a review. 

Miles on Tuesday voted against lifting Kingman's mandate. Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City lifted their mask mandates last month. 

The above article is from The Associated Press. 

Navajo Nation reports 30 new cases, no new deaths

The Navajo Department of Health reported 30 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and no recent deaths.

The total number of positive COVID-19 cases is now 10,999.  

The total number of deaths remains 574 as previously reported on Monday. 

Reports indicate that 7,397 individuals have recovered from COVID-19, and 117,320 COVID-19 tests have been administered.

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.

More information on coronavirus cases from Wednesday

There have been 233,912 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,854 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Arizona as of Wednesday.

That is an increase from the 232,937 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,837 coronavirus-related deaths reported as of Tuesday.

There were 975 new cases reported on Wednesday, down from the 1,040 reported on Tuesday.

There were 17 new deaths reported on Wednesday, up from the seven reported on Tuesday.

There were 5,463 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 100 people died. That is subject to change.

In total, 10,720 new tests were reported on Wednesday, up from the 7,999 new tests reported on Tuesday.

There have been a total of 1,967,512 PCR and Serology tests reported to the state as of Wednesday. 

9.8% of those tests have been positive as of Wednesday, down from 9.9% on Tuesday.

Here's a breakdown of the number of cases in each county:

  • Maricopa: 151,527
  • Pima: 27,128
  • Pinal: 11,538
  • Coconino: 4,814
  • Navajo: 6,197
  • Apache: 3,810
  • Mohave: 4,223
  • La Paz: 606
  • Yuma: 13,297
  • Graham: 1,063
  • Cochise: 2,075
  • Santa Cruz: 2,961
  • Yavapai: 2,814
  • Gila: 1,777
  • Greenlee: 82

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.

Before You Leave, Check This Out