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Omicron variant puts biggest strain on Arizona's health care system since pandemic's start

The omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to push Arizona caseloads to record-high levels.

Arizona’s health department reported another 12,066 COVID-19 cases Jan. 17. The number is likely low due to lagging reporting over the holiday weekend.

On average, the state has been seeing more than 19,000 cases per day recently — far more daily cases than we ever saw during last winter’s surge.

Meanwhile, hospitals in the state are reporting they’re dangerously overcrowded and understaffed. And many healthcare workers are calling for the state to do more.

For an update on Arizona’s outbreak and the state’s response, The Show spoke with KJZZ’s Katherine Davis-Young.

Arizona Coronavirus Cases, Deaths

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Lauren Gilger, host of KJZZ's The Show, is an award-winning journalist whose work has impacted communities large and small, exposing injustices and giving a voice to the voiceless and marginalized.