PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona health officials on Sunday reported 6,981 new COVID-19 cases and 18 more deaths as the state remains among the worst in the nation for the coronavirus surge.
The latest numbers from the state Department of Health Services increased the totals to 673,882 cases and 11,266 known deaths since the pandemic began.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Arizona currently leads in the nation in cases and has the second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths per capita over the last seven days.
Arizona’s COVID-19 diagnosis rate from Jan. 8 to Friday was one person in every 116 residents. The diagnosis rate is a state’s population divided by the number of new cases over the past week.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
Meanwhile, the state’s COVID-19 hospitalizations have started to decline after spiking to record levels in the past week.
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