By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM COUNTY – With 12 new reported cases Wednesday, Graham County has leaped into the triple digits with 108 total COVID-19 positive tests for the course of the pandemic.
Out of a population of about 39,000, there have been 1,630 tests given to reach the 108 positive cases, which is the second-lowest out of all of Arizona’s 15 counties, behind only Greenlee County, which has 18 total cases. Today at 12 a.m., Greenlee County’s mandate requiring the wearing of face coverings in public went into effect.
On Monday, Governor Doug Ducey signed an Executive Order prohibiting large gatherings and temporarily closing bars, movie theaters, waterparks, and tubing rentals to curb the increase of cases.
Currently, there are 73 active cases in Graham County, with 33 recovered cases, and two deaths involving elderly patients with underlying health conditions.
“As Graham County surpasses 100 COVID-19 cases, we are asking our residents to comply with Governor Ducey’s latest Executive Order,” said Graham County Health Director Brian Douglas. “We need to strengthen our efforts to slow the spread of the virus. It’s more important than ever to wear face coverings in public, social distancing by six feet, washing hands frequently, and staying at home as much as possible.”
Of the 12 new cases reported Wednesday, seven are from Safford, two from Thatcher, two from the San Carlos Apache Reservation, and one from Pima. All known close contacts of the new positives have been notified and placed on quarantine, according to the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services. The ages of all of the positive test patients to date include 21 under the age of 20, 27 between the ages of 21-34, 40 between the ages of 35-64, and 20 who are 65 years old or older.
Statewide, there are 84,092 reported positive tests to date, with 1,720 COVID-19 related deaths. Maricopa County leads the way with 52,266 positive tests, followed by Pima County with 8,387, Yuma County – 6,485, Pinal County – 3,777, Navajo County – 3,703, Apache County – 2,381, Coconino County – 1,941, Santa Cruz County – 1,802, Mohave County – 1,142, Yavapai County – 771, Cochise County – 657, La Paz County – 345, Gila County – 309, Graham County – 108, and Greenlee County – 18.
