Arizona reports 4,273 new COVID-19 cases, sets new records for hospital beds in use

Key measures of hospital stress rose again on Tuesday as Arizona reported 4,273 new COVID-19 cases and 92 additional known deaths.

Inpatient hospitalizations, ICU beds in use and ventilators in use by suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients each hit new records, according to Monday's hospital data reported to the state.

But the number of visits to emergency rooms by suspected and confirmed patients has dropped for six straight days, with 1,553 visits reported Monday compared with 2,008 on July 7, the record high day.

Identified cases rose to 128,097 and known deaths total 2,337, according to the daily report by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Tuesday's dashboard shows 85% of current inpatient beds and 88% of ICU beds were in use, which includes people being treated for COVID-19 and other patients. Overall, 52% of ventilators were in use.

Most people who get the disease are not hospitalized. The state does not report the number of recovered cases, although it does report hospital discharges.

The 92 additional known deaths reported on Tuesday represent the new deaths identified by the Health Department that day, but deaths could have occurred weeks prior and on different days.

Arizona remains one of the worst hot spots in the nation for COVID-19. Health officials caution people to stay home unless necessary to leave and to wear masks in public.

Testing so far has not kept up with the virus' spread. During the past three weeks, cases increased by 120% and tests increased by 64%. Of known test results from last week, 18% have come back positive, meaning there is not enough broad testing and the virus is widespread.

Here's what you need to know about Tuesday's new numbers.

Reported cases in Arizona: 128,097

• Cases increased by 4,273, or 3.5%, from Monday's 123,824 identified cases since the outbreak began. 
• County cases: 84,233 in Maricopa, 12,114 in Pima, 8,629 in Yuma, 5,945 in Pinal, 4,482 in Navajo, 2,611 in Apache, 2,523 in Coconino, 2,208 in Santa Cruz, 1,937 in Mohave, 1,189 in Yavapai, 1,095 in Cochise, 468 in Gila, 412 in La Paz, 218 in Graham and 33 in Greenlee, according to state numbers.
• The state's total case count includes individuals who tested positive on a diagnostic PCR test as well as individuals who tested positive on an antibody test who had COVID-19 symptoms or were linked to a known case. Of the cases, 99% are individuals with a positive diagnostic test, according to the state health department. 
• The rate of cases per 100,000 people is highest in Santa Cruz County, followed by Navajo, Yuma and Apache counties. 
• The Navajo Nation reported 8,243 cases and 401 confirmed deaths as of Monday. The Navajo Reservation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
• The Arizona Department of Corrections said 557 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday; 4,455 inmates have been tested out of a population of nearly 39,800. Five incarcerated people have been confirmed to have died of COVID-19, with eight additional deaths under investigation.
• While race/ethnicity is unknown for 49% of cases, 23% of cases are Hispanic or Latino, 16% of cases are white, 6% are Native American and 2% are Black.
• Laboratories have completed 721,191 diagnostic tests for COVID-19, 14.2% of which have come back positive. The percent of positive tests has increased in the past month. It was 18% for tests that have come back so far from last week, and 21% from the two weeks prior.

Reported deaths: 2,337 known deaths 

• On Tuesday, 92 new deaths were reported, although many likely occurred on previous days or weeks.
• County deaths: 1,198 in Maricopa, 338 in Pima, 159 in Yuma, 145 in Navajo, 104 in Apache, 102 in Coconino, 99 in Mohave, 88 in Pinal, 31 in Santa Cruz, 27 in Cochise, 21 in Yavapai, 15 in Gila, seven in La Paz and fewer than three in Graham and Greenlee.
• People aged 65 and older made up 1,711 of the 2,337 deaths, or 73%. 
• While race/ethnicity is unknown for 14% of deaths, 40% of those who died were white, 25% were Hispanic or Latino, 15% were Native American and 3% were Black.

Hospitalizations reach new highs

• Inpatients with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 tallied 3,517 on Monday, a record number of inpatients so far and an increase from a slight drop over the weekend. Hospitalizations have eclipsed 1,000 daily since June 1 and have surpassed 3,000 for the past 12 days.
• ICU bed use for suspected and confirmed positive COVID-19 patients hit a record 970 beds in use on Monday, up from the previous high of 936 beds in use on Sunday. The number has been above 500 daily since June 15, with a relatively steady increase in the weeks since.
• Ventilator use for suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients was at 674 on Monday, the highest number so far, up from Sunday's 671 and Saturday's 631 patients on ventilators.
• Emergency department visits for patients with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 was at 1,553 on Monday, continuing six days of decline from Tuesday's record 2,008 ER visits. Daily ER visits surpassed 1,000 on June 16 and have been above that level every day but two since. During April and May, emergency department daily visits for COVID-19 were typically in the 400s and 500s, rising into the 600s in the last few days of May.
• The number of patients with suspected and confirmed positive COVID-19 discharged from hospitals was at 424 patients discharged on Monday, a drop from last week's record discharge numbers but still relatively high. 

Key figures to watch

The percentage of positive tests is high. The percentage of positive tests out of all tests per week was at 21% two weeks ago and three weeks ago, up from 18% four weeks ago and 14% five weeks ago. It's at 18% so far for tests that have come in last week, but many test results are still outstanding. When the state decided to reopen on May 16, that number had been trending down, but it has been increasing ever since, and could be leveling off at a high level now. 

About one in four COVID-19 tests in Arizona is coming back positive, the highest percentage in the country, according to Johns Hopkins University. This is based on 7-day rolling averages. 

Hospital capacity. Ducey has emphasized the state has enough hospital capacity, pointing to current available space in hospitals as well as additional surge methods and more beds that can be brought online if necessary, such as at a reopened St. Luke's Medical Center in Phoenix. Dr. Cara Christ, the state health director, announced Thursday the state would help with increasing hospital staffing and post-acute care solutions to free hospital beds. 

Republic reporter Maria Polletta contributed to this article. 

Reach the reporter at Alison.Steinbach@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-444-4282. Follow her on Twitter @alisteinbach.

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