Urgent Updates: Transmission, Hospital Capacity, Vaccine Information, & Testing Information – Week of February 1st
Updated as of: 02-01-2021
Current Transmission Status: High
Transmission:
New reported cases per day within Arizona have decreased 28% compared to two weeks ago, but transmission is still very high across the state! In the past week Arizona has averaged nearly 7,000 new cases per day. Currently, per every 100,000 Arizonans, 10,093 have been infected with the virus. For regularly updated case counts and additional COVID-19 information by county, visit the Arizona Department of Health’s data dashboard summary page.
- Please continue to stay home and take the necessary precautions (e.g., practicing hand hygiene, physical distancing, and wearing cloth face coverings) to prevent COVID-19.
- Remember that while interacting with others outdoors does reduce your likelihood of a COVID-19 infection compared to being indoors, it is still necessary to wear a cloth face covering and maintain physical distancing from anyone who is outside of your household.
Current Hospital Capacity: High Concern
Hospital capacity remains a major concern for Arizona. During the past week, there were an average of 4,421 COVID-19 patients in Arizona hospitals. Currently only 8% of ICU beds, 9% of in-patient beds, and 50% of emergency department hospital beds across the state are available for any incoming admissions. Healthcare workers are incredibly overwhelmed and have less time, resources, and staff to devote to usual care including elective medical and surgical procedures.
- It is important to note that hospital capacity percentages only account for available beds and do not account for available staff members or resources, which are dwindling.
However, it is still important to remember that if you or someone else is experiencing a medical emergency, you should seek emergency medical care immediately.
Vaccine Information:
Over 500,000 vaccines have been administered across Arizona! Most counties are in the 1B priority phase. Each phase of the vaccine distribution plan and the phases that Arizona counties are in are outlined below:
Phase 1 | County Phase | ||
Phase 1A: | Healthcare Workers & Healthcare Support Occupations, Emergency Medical Services Workers, Long-term Care Facility Staff & Residents | ||
Phase 1B Priority: | Education & Childcare Workers, Protective Services Occupations, Adults 75 and older, Remaining 1A | Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Maricopa, Mohave, Yavapai, Yuma, Pima, Pinal | |
Phase 1B: | Education & Childcare Workers, Protective Services Occupations, Adults 75 and older, Essential Services/ Critical Industry Workers, Adults with High-Risk Conditions in Congregate Settings, Remaining 1A | Apache, La Paz, Navajo, Santa Cruz | |
Phase 1C: | Adults 65 and Older, Adults of Any Age with High-Risk Medical Conditions, Adults Living in Congregate Settings, Remaining 1A & 1B | ||
Phase 2 | Additional High-Risk/ Critical Populations, General Public, Remaining Phase 1 Populations | ||
Phase 3 | General Public, Remaining Phase 1 or 2 Populations |
Non-residents (e.g., students and other people who reside in Arizona part-time) are eligible to receive the vaccine in Arizona. All Arizona residents can register to be vaccinated in their own county or in Phoenix.
- For updated information on county vaccine distribution phases, visit this link.
- Use this resource for general information about COVID-19 vaccines.
- For answers to frequently asked questions about who can get vaccinated, visit this link.
You may also sign up for an Arizona Vaccine Program secure portal account to schedule your vaccination appointment when it is your time to do so. Use Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome as your browser for best usability.
Testing:
Accessing testing may still be very difficult. Many testing sites require an appointment or prior registration to get tested. Use this link to find a testing site near you.
- Call ahead to your selected testing location to ask about cost, as it may vary depending on your insurance coverage or testing site. To remember the differences between the available testing types, visit this link.