Greenlee County up five in past two days
By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM COUNTY – Another double-digit announcement from Graham County was released Wednesday, and Greenlee County has reported five new cases in the last two days as well.
The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services announced 15 new positive COVID-19 test results on Wednesday, putting the county’s total for the pandemic at 236. Graham County has about 39,000 residents.
Currently, there are 181 active cases in Graham County, with 51 recovered cases and four deaths. Locally, the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center currently is treating four COVID-19 positive patients who are hospitalized.
Out of the 15 new test results, eight are from Safford, three are from Thatcher, and four are from the San Carlos Apache Tribe. All known close contacts of the new positives have been notified and placed on quarantine until cleared by the health department.
Graham County’s COVID-19 cases include 41 under the age of 20, 65 between the ages of 21-34, 95 between the ages of 35-64, and 35 who are 65 years old or older.
While the case count is increasing – especially in other counties throughout the state – daily hospitalizations peaked June 16 and have fallen throughout the state since then and the mortality rate has been steadily declining since mid-June as well, according to an independent study by Anchor & Helm Decision Advisors LLC, which was commissioned by State Rep. Mark Finchem (R, LD-11).
“In an attempt to reproduce the work of the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS), I requested the actual data set used for creating the graphs and tables found on the AZDHS dashboard,” Finchem said. “I was told that the data sets are confidential. It is disappointing that an executive agency would block the Legislature from examining data necessary to provide oversight of the agency’s work. Without the data, we cannot accurately reproduce the work done by AZDHS, and when we are talking about destroying people’s livelihoods, that is a big deal. Transparency is a necessary component of oversight.
For months the media has emphasized the ‘explosion of new cases’ and ‘skyrocketing’ case count for individuals testing positive for the CCP Virus (COVID-19). And for months, I have been asking why that is the focus when the vast majority (over 90 percent) of those testing positive are either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic requiring no medical care.”
Greenlee County
As of Wednesday night, the Greenlee County Health Department is reporting 38 positive tests for Greenlee County, with 25 active cases, 12 recovered cases, and one death. The number of new positive tests has increased by five in just two days and the county is awaiting the results from 134 tests currently pending. Greenlee County has about 10,000 residents.
San Carlos Apache Reservation
The San Carlos Apache Tribe Department of Health & Human Services reported nine new positive COVID-19 tests as of Wednesday, putting its total for the pandemic to 237.
The SCAT currently has 82 active cases, with 154 recovered cases, and one death. It has 306 tests that are pending.
The breakdown on the reservation includes Gilson Wash – 32 positive, 22 recovered, one death, nine active; Peridot – 95 positive, 61 recovered, 34 active; 7-Mile – 48 positive, 37 recovered, 11 active; Bylas – 40 positive, 19 recovered, 21 active; and other areas – 22 positive, 15 recovered, seven active.
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, the breakdown of the number of positive cases in each county includes Maricopa County at 88,954, Pima County – 12,697, Yuma County – 8,949, Pinal County – 6,243, Navajo County – 4,598, Apache County – 2,658, Coconino County – 2,581, Santa Cruz County – 2,251, Mohave County – 2,108, Yavapai County – 1,254, Cochise County – 1,140, Gila County – 482, La Paz County – 422, Graham County – 236, and Greenlee County – 40. (The Greenlee County Health Department’s latest update has its number at 38 but the state currently has it at 40. There might be an issue about people who work in Greenlee County but have a permanent address in another county.)
