Thursday, October 22, 2020

Southern AZ COVID-19 AM roundup for Thursday, Oct. 22: Nearly 1K new cases again today; Total AZ cases close in on 235K; free testing available

Posted By on Thu, Oct 22, 2020 at 10:01 AM

With 994 new cases reported today, the number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases closed in on 235,000 as of Thursday, Oct. 22, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

In a worrisome trend, the number of cases statewide has climbed by nearly 3,000 in just three days.

Pima County had seen 27,208 of the state’s 234,906 confirmed cases.

With five new deaths reported yesterday, a total of 5,859 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, including 635 deaths in Pima County, according to the Oct. 22 report.

The number of hospitalized COVID cases has declined from July peaks but has ticked upward in recent weeks. ADHS reported that as of Oct. 21, 848 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, the highest that number has been since Aug. 26, when 895 people were hospitalized. That number peaked with 3,517 hospitalized COVID patients on July 13. 

A total of 858 people visited emergency rooms on Oct. 21 with COVID symptoms, the highest that number has been since Sept. 21, when 867 people visited ERs with signs of the coronavirus. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.

A total of 164 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Oct. 21. The number of COVID patients in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.

On a week-by-week basis in Pima County, the number of positive COVID tests peaked the week ending July 4 with 2,453 cases, according to an Oct. 16 report from the Pima County Health Department. 

After a bump following the return of UA students, cases on a week-to-week basis are on the decline. For the week ending Sept. 19, 1,225 cases were reported; for the week ending Sept. 26, 596 cases were reported; for the week ending Oct. 3, 523 cases were reported; for the week ending Oct. 10, 466 cases were reported. 

Deaths in Pima County are down from a peak of 54 in the week ending July 4 to 10 in the week ending Sept. 5, one in the week ending Sept. 12, three in the week ending Sept. 19, four in the week ending Sept. 26 and three in the week ending Oct. 3. 

Hospitalization peaked the week ending July 18 with 221 COVID patients admitted to Pima County hospitals, but it has been on the rise in recent weeks. In the week ending Sept. 12, 24 patients were admitted; in the week ending Sept. 19, 17 patients were admitted; in the week ending Sept. 26, 13 people were admitted; in the week ending Oct. 3, 20 patients were admitted; and in the week ending Oct. 10, 24 people were admitted. (Recent weeks are subject to revision.)

 

Get tested: Pima County offers free COVID testing, UA offering antibody testing

The Pima County Health Department has four free testing centers around town.

The newest is a downtown testing center 88 E. Broadway Blvd., on the southwest corner of Broadway and Sixth Ave. Testing will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Testing is available without an appointment, or by appointment at pima.gov/covid19testing

The county has three other free testing centers with easy-to-schedule appointments—often with same-day availability—with results in 24 to 72 hours. 

You’ll have a nasal swab test at the Kino Event Center, 2805 E. Ajo Way, and the Udall Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road. The center at the northside Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road, involves a saliva test designed by ASU. 

Schedule an appointment at pima.gov/covid19testing.

The centers are also tied into Pima County’s developing contact tracing operation, which aims to be able to identify potential clusters and warn people if they have been in contact with someone who is COVID-positive.

The University of Arizona’s antibody testing has been opened to all Arizonans as the state attempts to get a handle on how many people have been exposed to COVID-19 but were asymptomatic or otherwise did not get a test while they were ill.

To sign up for testing, visit https://covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu/home.

 

—with additional reporting from Nicole Ludden, Austin Counts, Jeff Gardner and Mike Truelsen