PHOENIX (AP) – The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona has now surpassed 100,000 and younger people, not the elderly, have comprised more than half of them, state health officials said Monday.
The Department of Health Services said in a statement that more than 62,000 of the 101,441 reported cases involve people younger than 44.
DHS Director Dr. Cara Crist said it’s those between ages 20 and 44 who can drive community spread of COVID-19.
Last week, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey ordered bars, gyms and movie theaters to close for three weeks in Arizona, which leads the U.S. in new coronavirus cases per capita. The action has drawn criticism from some Republicans and defiance from one metro Phoenix chain of health clubs.
“We urge every Arizonan to follow Governor Ducey’s executive orders to contain the spread and take simple precautions, such as wearing a face-covering when out in public and avoiding gatherings of people,” Crist said.
State health officials’ total includes an additional 3,352 confirmed cases and one death. Those figures may be an undercount because of a lag in reporting from hospitals over the weekend, they said. The number of reported COVID-19 deaths stands at 1,810.
Arizona continues to remain high in terms of positive tests and coronavirus hospitalizations. While the test positivity rate nationwide is around 9%, Arizona’s is at around 13.4%. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients on Sunday was 3,212, a new high according to state data. Hospital capacity statewide is currently around 89%.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in an interview on ABC News on Sunday that the surging cases is causing a “crisis” involving testing shortages in the city.
Gallego, a Democrat, said some residents over the weekend had to line up for eight hours by car to get COVID-19 tests and the federal government has been slow to help.
Worldwide, the number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported numbers because many people haven’t been tested and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick.
The coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough for most people. But for some – especially older adults and people with existing health problems – it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
