HEALTH

ICU beds, ventilators in use hit new records as Arizona reports 1,357 new COVID-19 cases

Alison Steinbach
Arizona Republic

Arizona reported a relatively low 1,357 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, but stress on hospitals remained high.

Identified cases rose to 123,824 and known deaths total 2,245, according to the daily report by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

ICU beds and ventilators in use by suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients both hit new records on Sunday, according to hospital data reported to the state. Emergency room visits and inpatient beds in use dropped from the previous day but remained at high levels.

Monday's dashboard shows 87% of current inpatient beds and 90% of ICU beds were in use, which includes people being treated for COVID-19 and other patients. 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.

Rapid case increases and hospitalizations have made Arizona 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 has so far not kept up with the virus' spread. During the past three weeks, cases increased by 127% and tests increased by 63%. Of known test results from last week, 19% have come back positive, meaning there is not enough broad testing and the virus is widespread.

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

Reported cases in Arizona: 123,824

  • Cases increased by 1,357, or 1.1%, from Sunday's 122,467 identified cases since the outbreak began. 
  • County cases: 81,216 in Maricopa, 11,856 in Pima, 8,384 in Yuma, 5,627 in Pinal, 4,355 in Navajo, 2,580 in Apache, 2,475 in Coconino, 2,186 in Santa Cruz, 1,831 in Mohave, 1,156 in Yavapai, 1,062 in Cochise, 446 in Gila, 410 in La Paz, 207 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 8,142 cases and 396 confirmed deaths as of Saturday. The Navajo Nation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
  • The Arizona Department of Corrections said 530 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday; 4,330 inmates have been tested out of a population of nearly 40,000. Five incarcerated people have been confirmed to have died of COVID-19, with eight additional deaths under investigation.
  • While race/ethnicity is unknown for 50% 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 701,703 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 19% for tests that have come back so far from last week, and 21% from the two weeks prior.

Reported deaths: 2,245 known deaths 

  • On Monday, eight new deaths were reported, although many likely occurred on previous days or weeks.
  • County deaths: 1,140 in Maricopa, 327 in Pima, 154 in Yuma, 143 in Navajo, 104 in Apache, 102 in Coconino, 98 in Mohave, 88 in Pinal, 29 in Santa Cruz, 23 in Cochise, 15 in Yavapai, 12 in Gila, seven in La Paz and fewer than three in Graham and Greenlee.
  • People aged 65 and older made up 1,650 of the 2,245 deaths, or 73%. 
  • While race/ethnicity is unknown for 14% of deaths, 41% of those who died were white, 24% were Hispanic or Latino, 15% were Native American and 3% were Black.

Hospitalizations remain high

  • Inpatients with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 tallied 3,373 on Sunday, dropping slightly over the weekend but staying close to Friday's record 3,485 inpatients. Hospitalizations have eclipsed 1,000 daily since June 1 and have surpassed 3,000 for the past 10 days.
  • ICU bed use for suspected and confirmed positive COVID-19 patients hit a record 936 beds in use on Sunday, up from Saturday's 922 ICU beds in use. 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 shot up to 671 on Sunday, the highest number so far, up from Saturday's previous record of 631 patients on ventilators. Overall, 49% of ventilators remained available on Sunday.
  • Emergency department visits for patients with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 was at 1,650 on Sunday, continuing five 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 425 patients discharged on Sunday, a drop from last week's record discharge numbers but still relatively high. 

What's the conversation about these trends?

Gov. Doug Ducey is concerned but offers little new action. Ducey at a Thursday news briefing did not announce significant new measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 despite pleas for aggressive action from doctors, mayors and some state lawmakers. He rolled out just one policy change: a directive further limiting restaurant capacity for dine-in service. 

State says it will expand testing options and processing speed. Ducey also announced an expansion of testing after weeks of insufficient testing during Arizona's rapid case increases. This includes increased free testing, a partnership with Arizona State University for saliva testing and boosted capacity for test processing so results come back quicker. Testing has so far not been enough, with long lines for free testing in underserved communities and waits up to a week or two to get results back. 

Key figures to watch

The percentage of positive tests is high. This is the opposite direction from White House reopening criteria. 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 19% 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. 

More than one in four COVID-19 tests in Arizona are coming back positive, the highest percentage in the country, according to Johns Hopkins University.

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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