Steve Carter File Photo/Special to the Gila Herald: Supporters of the “Freedom Convoy” gather along the U.S. Highway 191 overpass overlooking I-10 to wave to those in the convoy who are protesting COVID-19 restrictions. Graham County is seeing few new confirmed cases after previously spiking in January.
Active cases drop to 63 countywide
By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM COUNTY – The new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Graham County continue their decline as spring begins and March ends.
The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services reported just six new confirmed cases in the past week. That followed up a solitary case the week before, and 14 the week previous to that.
Additionally, a death was reconciled after a patient was mistakenly counted twice, lowering Graham County’s total number of people whose deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 to 172.
For the course of the pandemic, Graham County has registered 11,939 total confirmed cases, with 11,704 recoveries, 63 currently active, and 172 deaths.
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.
