Graham County now lists more than 2,200 total cases of COVID-19 for the course of the pandemic

County lists 1,199 recovered, 981 active, and 35 deaths

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

SAFFORD – The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services announced 57 new positive tests for Sunday and Monday to push the total for the pandemic to 2,215.

The breakdown for the new positive tests from include 23 from Safford, 16 from the San Carlos Apache Tribe, 12 from Thatcher, five from Pima, and one from Fort Thomas.

After having its biggest increase of cases in one month in October (408), Graham County has easily surpassed that mark with 968 new positive tests for November.

As of Monday, Graham County had 2,215 total confirmed cases, with 1,199 recovered, 981 actives, and 35 deaths. 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. A total of 5.7 percent of Graham County has tested positive for COVID-19, with the currently active number at 2.5 percent.

A total of 35 people, nearly all over the age of 65 and who had pre-existing health conditions, have died with COVID-19 in Graham County. About 1.6 percent of those who have tested positive for the virus in Graham County have died after contracting it. There were 16 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 at the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center as of Monday.

According to the state’s database, Graham County’s positive test cases include 475 who are under 20 years of age, 949 between 20-44, 252 between 45-54, 236 between 55-64, and 299 who are 65 years old or older.

The ever-increasing positive tests have moved the Graham County Board of Supervisors to issue a mask mandate while in public for Graham County.

Greenlee County

Raymundo Frasquillo File Photo/Gila Herald: A young girl secures her mask with loops over her ears.

The Greenlee County Health Department listed seven new positive tests on Sunday to raise its total for the pandemic to 234.

The health department has administered tests to 2,580 people as of Sunday, with 2,346 being negative, and 234 positives, according to the department. The county has 114 active cases, 117 recovered cases, and three deaths. Greenlee County has about 10,000 residents.

The breakdown of the Greenlee cases currently listed on the ADHS’ data dashboard (which only shows 228 positives currently) includes 40 under the age of 20, 106 between 20-44, 37 between 45-54, 28 between 55-64, and 17 who are 65 years old or older.

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 Friday, Nov. 20, the San Carlos Council issued a two-week stay-at-home mandate effective Nov. 21 – Dec. 5, with Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays designated as essential days. The mandate makes and does not include essential trips to secure food, medical supplies, essential employees, school-related requirements, the post office, planning or attending funerals with a crowd size less than 10, deliveries, construction or repair workers, or those with valid permits for camping, hunting, or fishing.

On Monday, the San Carlos Apache Tribe Department of Health & Human Services reported 33 new cases. To date, the Tribe has administered 14,919 tests with 12,014 negatives, 2,804 positives, and 101 results pending.

The Tribe lists 2,215 currently active cases, with 2,557 recovered cases, and 32 deaths.

The area breakdown on the reservation includes Gilson Wash – 472 positive, 429 recovered, 31 active, 12 deaths; Peridot – 934 positive, 834 recovered, 87 active, 13 deaths; 7-Mile – 569 positive, 513 recovered, 50 active, six deaths; Bylas – 653 positive, 623 recovered, 29 active, one death; other areas – 176 positive, 158 recovered, 18 active.   

Statewide

For the state, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported 822 new cases Monday to bring the total to 326,817 for the state. It reported five new deaths to increase the total fatalities due, at least in part, to COVID-19 to and amended 6,639 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 205,658, Pima County – 39,859, Yuma County – 17,871, Pinal County – 16,699, Navajo County – 8,163, Coconino County – 7,520, Mohave County – 6,199, Apache County – 5,392, Yavapai County – 5,530, Santa Cruz County – 3,974, Cochise County – 3,639, Gila County – 3,003, Graham County – 2,215, La Paz County – 867, Greenlee County – 228 (county lists 234).