Continued vigilance helps keep Graham and Greenlee counties COVID-19 – free

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Graham and Greenlee counties currently do not have any reported positive active COVID-19 cases.

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Graham and Greenlee counties currently do not have any reported positive active COVID-19 cases.

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

GRAHAM AND GREENLEE COUNTIES – While cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 continue to rise throughout the state, Graham and Greenlee counties have stopped the spread in its tracks – for now – and now do not have any active cases. 

However, county officials report that since numbers continue to grow elsewhere in the state, it is more important now than ever to keep taking the protective measures and cautious efforts. 

While it is important to get outside and exercise, officials recommend taking walks or hikes or doing activities on playing fields that adhere to social and physical distancing protocols currently in place. 

As of Thursday afternoon, Graham County had submitted 135 tests with only two positive tests that came from the Pima Elementary School outbreak at the start of the pandemic. The two patients, a fifth- and sixth-grade staff member and a student, were quarantined and have both fully recovered. Graham County currently has three tests that are still pending. 

In Greenlee County, its sole positive test came from out-of-state contact and that patient has also since made a full recovery. There have been no hospitalizations for any positive test result in Graham or Greenlee counties. 

The same can’t be said throughout the rest of the state, which has now recorded 3,018 positive tests and 89 deaths. 

Maricopa County leads the way with 1,689 cases, followed by Pima County with 512, Navajo County – 286, Coconino County – 210, Pinal County – 137, Yavapai County – 62, Apache County – 52, Mohave County – 27, Yuma County – 15, Cochise County – 11, Santa Cruz County – 7, La Paz County – 4, Gila County – 3, Graham County – 2, and Greenlee County – 1. 

While the weekly total of positive tests has increased each week since March 8, this week has only recorded 388 cases as of Thursday and looks to finish less than the 1,124 cases recorded last week.