Arizona reports 3,775 additional COVID cases, 74 more deaths

Unvaccinated Arizonans 15 times more likely to die from coronavirus, report says

A new AZDHS report is re-enforcing what health officials have been preaching for nearly a year, that the COVID-19 vaccine is your best option to keep from getting the disease. The report found that Arizonans who chose not to get the vaccine are 15 times more likely to die from COVID-19. It also found that the delta variant remains the dominant strain in Arizona.

PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona on Saturday reported 3,774 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases and 74 more deaths as virus-related hospitalizations remained near the current surge’s peak.

The updated figures posted on the Department of Health Services’ coronavirus dashboard increased the state’s pandemic totals to 1,312,958 cases and 23,021 deaths.

The dashboard reported that 2,749 COVID-19 patients occupied hospital inpatient beds as of Friday, down from the surge’s peak of 2,800 on Sunday.

Arizona’s virus-related hospitalizations remain far below the pandemic peak of 5,082 last January but hospitals are more crowded now because of larger numbers of non-virus patients also being treated.

According to Johns Hopkins University data, the state’s seven-day rolling averages of daily new cases and daily deaths in Arizona both rose over the past two weeks.

The rolling average of daily new cases increased from 3,682 on Nov. 25 to 3,856 on Thursday while the rolling average of daily deaths increased from 41.6 to 78.6 during the same period.

MAP: Arizona Coronavirus cases by zip code