COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations are trending lower nationwide. And Arizona’s COVID-19 case numbers have fallen for the fifth week in a row.
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 8,505 cases in its weekly update Wednesday. That’s the lowest count since mid-May. Medical experts caution that recent cases are likely being vastly undercounted because many at-home tests go unreported. But other metrics also suggest Arizona's outbreak is improving.
The state’s test positivity rate this week was 18%, which is considered high, but that figure has been falling now for four weeks.
Arizona's COVID-19 hospitalization rates are improving, too. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports about 3.5% of Arizona’s hospital ICU beds are now occupied by COVID patients.
