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COVID hospitalizations rise in Arizona; over 3,800 new cases

PAUL DAVENPORT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 11 months AGO
by PAUL DAVENPORT
| December 2, 2020 8:30 AM

PHOENIX (AP) — COVID-19-related hospitalizations continue to climb in Arizona as the state on Wednesday reported more than 3,800 additional known cases and a statewide organization representing physicians warned that the state's health care system could be overwhelmed.

COVID-19 hospitalizations reached 2,699 as of Tuesday, up more than 100 from Monday and included 642 patients in intensive care unit beds. COVID-19 hospitalizations in Arizona peaked around 3,500 during the state's summer surge.

Health experts have said holiday travel and gatherings are expected to produce additional new cases and related hospitalizations over the next few weeks.

“The increase in cases has a genuine potential to overwhelm the health care system in Arizona," the Arizona Medical Association said in a statement, citing deep concern for hospital capacity and medical staffing.

“Other states have begun to implement restrictions that include curfews, restaurant closures, and more severe preventive strategies. Arizona is nearing this critical point, with discussions of further action being taken to address the current surge," the AMA statement said.

According to the state Department of Health Service's coronavirus dashboard, 10% of all hospital acute-care beds and 10% of ICU beds remained available.

The dashboard reported 3,840 additional confirmed cases and 52 more deaths, increasing the state's totals to 340,979 cases and 6,739 deaths.

The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

A day after reporting only 822 additional cases, Arizona on Tuesday reported 10,322 additional cases but officials said that the record daily increase was inflated by reporting delays over the extended Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new confirmed cases in Arizona rose over the past two weeks from 2,395 new cases per day on Nov. 17 to 4,324 per day on Tuesday, according to data from The COVID Tracking Project.

The rolling averages of daily deaths rose from 17.1 to 24.6 and the rolling average of the COVID-19 testing positivity rate increased from 15.9% to 22.9%.

The Tucson City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to establish a mandatory nightly curfew for three weeks beginning Friday in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19.

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AP reporter Walter Berry contributed.

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