US News

Arizona sees highest number of coronavirus cases in single-day record

Arizona reported a record number of new coronavirus cases Tuesday, as infections in the state surge.

State health officials said it had added another 3,591 COVID19 cases — a new single-day record, AZ Big Media reported.

The spike in cases comes a few weeks after the state began re-opening Memorial Day weekend, with an increase of nearly 20,000 new COVID-19 cases in just one week.

As of Tuesday, there were 58,191 cases and 1,384 deaths in the Grand Canyon State, up from 39,097 a week earlier, the outlet reported.

“It would be preposterous to think that people going out aren’t increasing the positive cases,” Dr. Murtaza Akhter of the University of Arizona College of Medicine told Cronkite News. “One of my concerns is whether people are ever going to take public health emergencies seriously.”

Akhter urged people with symptoms to get tested at drive-thru centers and refrain from going to the hospital unless their symptoms are severe to keep hospitals freed-up to help the worst cases, AZ Big Media reported.

Gov. Doug Ducey last week stood by his decision to lift the stay-at-home order, saying Arizona is prepared to “expect the worst,” the new site reported.

The spike in new cases comes as President Trump is scheduled to attend a Students for Trump convention Tuesday afternoon at Dream City Church in Phoenix.

The state is one of 23 to see a sharp increase in new COVID-19 cases.