By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM AND GREENLEE COUNTIES – Over the past week, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to shrink in Graham and Greenlee counties.
After having peaks of more than 100 daily confirmed cases during January and February, Graham County has averaged only two new cases per day for the past week. The county listed 14 new confirmed cases over the span of March 9-15, and one additional death. The new death makes 173 for the county since the start of the pandemic.
The lowered new cases have also dropped the currently active caseload. For the course of the pandemic, Graham County has had 11,932 confirmed cases, with 11,573 recoveries, and 173 deaths, with 186 currently active cases.
Greenlee County reported just 5 new confirmed cases over the past week, but it also had a new death attributed to COVID-19. The recent death makes a total of 32 for Greenlee County since the start of the pandemic.
With the lower number of new cases, the Copper Mountain Clinic has updated its drive-through free COVID testing site behind Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center to Monday – Saturday, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) put out data regarding rates of COVID-19 by vaccination status. Click here to go through the data, which states that in January unvaccinated people had an 11 times greater chance of contracting COVID-19, a 67 times greater risk of hospitalization, and 180 times greater risk of dying from it than those who have been fully vaccinated with a booster shot.
The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services offers free vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson and has booster shots for those 18 and over. Additionally, children 5 and up can receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and adults can have any of the three. The health department provides the vaccine Mondays from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., Thursdays from 2 – 5 p.m., and the Pfizer vaccine for those 5 and older on Thursdays from 5 – 7:30 p.m. and Fridays from 2 – 5 p.m. Click here to register to receive a vaccine. Vaccines are also available at local pharmacies such as Palo Verde Pharmacy in Pima, and, in Greenlee County, at Gila Health Resources.
