Graham County now at 1,343 positive tests with 865 recovered and 447 active
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – The novel coronavirus COVID-19 continues to ramp up this fall/winter season as 2,135 new positive tests were reported for the state of Arizona on Thursday.
Locally, the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services (GCDHHS) reported 23 new positive results for COVID-19 in Graham County on Thursday. The new positive tests include 10 from Safford, nine from the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and four from Thatcher.
As of Thursday, the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,343 total confirmed cases, with 865 recovered and 447 actives. According to GCDHHS criteria, a positive test is not considered a recovered patient until they have 30 days symptom-free. Graham County has about 39,000 residents. Nearly 3.5 percent of Graham County has tested positive for COVID-19, with the currently active number at slightly more than 1 percent.
A total of 31 people, mostly all over the age of 65 and who had pre-existing health conditions, have died with COVID-19 in Graham County. There are currently six patients hospitalized for COVID-19 at the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center.
According to the state’s database, Graham County’s positive test cases include 305 who are under 20 years of age, 567 between 20-44, 150 between 45-54, 137 between 55-64, 182 who are 65 years old or older, and one unknown.
As of Thursday, the ADHS continues to list Graham County in its “moderate” business reopening status, even though the county is in the “substantial transmission” zone in both cases per 100,000 individuals, and percent positivity, for the weeks of Sept. 27, Oct. 4, Oct. 11, and Oct. 18. ADHS metrics are roughly two weeks behind current results. The metrics show Graham County having 146 cases per 100,000 for the week of Sept. 27, 140 cases per 100,000 for the week of Oct. 4, 239 cases per 100,000 for the week of Oct. 11, and 343 cases per 100,000 for the week of Oct. 18, all over the 100 threshold to enter the substantial zone. The percent positivity for those four weeks was listed at 12.4 percent, 14.6 percent, 18.2 percent, and 12.4 percent, respectively, all over the 10 percent threshold to enter the substantial zone. Hospitalizations for the Southeast Region – which includes Graham, Greenlee, Pima, Cochise, and Santa Cruz counties – rose slightly from 2.1 percent to 2.4 percent for the week of Oct. 11, but lowered to 2 percent for the week of Oct. 18, and is still in the “minimal transmission” zone under 5 percent.
Greenlee County
As of Wednesday, the Greenlee County Health Department listed its total of positive tests for the pandemic at 106.
The health department has administered tests to 1,710 people as of Wednesday, with 1,604 being negative, and 106 positives, according to the department. The county has 44 active cases, 60 recovered cases, and two deaths. Greenlee County has about 10,000 residents.
The breakdown of the Greenlee cases currently listed on the ADHS’ data dashboard includes 10 under the age of 20, 57 between 20-44, 22 between 45-54, 13 between 55-64, and four who are 65 years old or older.
Greenlee County’s percent positivity skyrocketed from 0 percent to 17.6 percent for the week of Oct. 4, putting that metric into the substantial zone. It lowered to 9.8 percent for the week of Oct. 11, putting it back into the moderate zone, but then rose the week of ct. 18 to 12.5 percent into the substantial zone. Its cases per 100,000 individuals also raised from 10 for the week of Sept. 27 to 39 for the week of Oct. 4, 67 for the week of Oct. 11, and 270 for the week of Oct. 18, putting it into the substantial zone. However, Greenlee County is still in the “minimal transmission” status for business reopening, according to ADHS.
San Carlos Apache Tribe
The San Carlos Apache Tribe stretches into both Graham and Gila counties and its cases add to the respective counties’ cases based on the geography of where the patients reside.
On Thursday, the San Carlos Apache Tribe Department of Health & Human Services reported 35 new cases. To date, the Tribe has administered 11,875 tests with 9,783 negatives, 1,878 positives, and 214 results pending.
The Tribe lists 214 currently active cases, with 1,644 recovered cases, and 20 deaths.
The area breakdown on the reservation includes Gilson Wash – 313 positive, 279 recovered, 29 active, five deaths; Peridot – 624 positive, 551 recovered, 34 active, 10 deaths; 7-Mile – 379 positive, 341 recovered, 34 active, four deaths; Bylas – 453 positive, 377 recovered, 75 active, one death; other areas – 109 positive, 96 recovered, 13 active.
Statewide
For the state, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported 2,135 new cases Thursday to bring the total to 252,768 for the state. It reported 28 new deaths to bring the total fatalities due, at least in part, to COVID-19 to and amended 6,087 in Arizona. The state has about 7.3 million residents and nearly two million tests have been taken.
Reported positive cases in the various counties include Maricopa County with 162,958, Pima County – 29,456, Yuma County – 14,219, Pinal County – 12,510, Navajo County – 6,665, Coconino County – 5,606, Mohave County – 4,596, Apache County – 4,066, Santa Cruz County – 3,085, Yavapai County – 3,134, Cochise County – 2,307, Gila County – 2,081, Graham County – 1,343, La Paz County – 635, Greenlee County – 106.
