COVID-19 cases appear to be on a slow decline nationwide and Arizona’s case counts are down this week, too.
The Arizona Department of Health Services added 12,244 cases in its weekly update Wednesday — the lowest count in 12 weeks. Medical experts say actual caseloads are likely much higher because many at-home tests go unreported. But other metrics also suggest Arizona's outbreak is improving.
The positivity rate among COVID-19 tests reported in Arizona declined for the third week in a row in the state's latest report. The positivity rate had reached a near-record high in July.
And, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, COVID-19 patients now occupy just about 4% of Arizona’s hospital ICU beds — that’s about the same as last week.
Deaths, however, increased this week in Arizona. The state reported 81 COVID-19 fatalities. That’s the highest weekly total since May.
