Graham County had the highest new infection rate in the state for the past week; Total now at 1,533 with 901 recovered and 601 active cases
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – Graham County has the dubious distinction of having the highest 7-day ELR positivity rate for COVID-19 (37.5 percent) out of any of Arizona’s 15 counties. The next closest is Yuma County, with a rate of 17.2 percent, less than half of Graham County’s rate.
After reporting 70 new cases over the weekend, the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services (GCDHHS) reported 33 new positive results for COVID-19 in Graham County for Monday and Tuesday, and an astonishing one day increase of 66 new results Wednesday to push the total for the pandemic to 1,533. The new positive tests reported Wednesday included 23 from Safford, 20 from Thatcher, 19 from the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and four from Pima. After having its biggest increase of cases in one month in October, Graham County is on its way of eclipsing that mark with 299 new positive tests in the first 11 days of November alone. It previously took the county nearly five months at the start of the pandemic to reach that number.
As of Wednesday, the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,533 total confirmed cases, with 901 recovered and 601 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. Slightly more than 3.9 percent of Graham County has tested positive for COVID-19, with the currently active number slightly more than 1.5 percent.
A total of 31 people, nearly all over the age of 65 and who had pre-existing health conditions, have died with COVID-19 in Graham County. About 2 percent of those who have tested positive for the virus in Graham County has died after contracting it. There were currently nine patients hospitalized for COVID-19 at the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center on Wednesday.
Due to the increase of cases, the Fort Thomas School District has gone back to distance learning for the month of November, and the Arizona Interscholastic Association has recommended both Graham and Greenlee postpone the start of school winter sports.
On Monday, Thatcher advised its boy’s basketball open gym may have been exposed to an active COVID-19 case and the health department is conducting contract tracing. However, Thatcher still has basketball activities set to resume Nov. 18.
Safford Athletic Director Toni Corona told the Gila Herald that they have postponed tryouts for winter sports and are in a wait-and-see mode.
Both Graham and Greenlee fail the Winter Sports Metrics of thresholds as defined by the Arizona Department of Health Services by having too many cases per 100,000 people and too high of a positive percentage rate of tests given.
According to the state’s database, Graham County’s positive test cases include 345 who are under 20 years of age, 649 between 20-44, 175 between 45-54, 156 between 55-64, and 205 who are 65 years old or older.
As of Wednesday, 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 had 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
The Greenlee County Health Department listed three new positive tests on Tuesday to raise its total for the pandemic to 125.
The health department has administered tests to 1,837 people as of Saturday, with 1,712 being negative, and 125 positives, according to the department. The county has 32 active cases, 91 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 (which only shows 120 positives currently) includes 12 under the age of 20, 64 between 20-44, 23 between 45-54, 15 between 55-64, and six 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 Wednesday, the San Carlos Apache Tribe Department of Health & Human Services reported 48 new cases. To date, the Tribe has administered 12,656 tests with 10,398 negatives, 2,076 positives, and 182 results pending.
The Tribe lists 243 currently active cases, with 1,808 recovered cases, and 25 deaths. That is an increase of five deaths since Friday.
The area breakdown on the reservation includes Gilson Wash – 343 positive, 298 recovered, 37 active, eight deaths; Peridot – 680 positive, 596 recovered, 73 active, 11 deaths; 7-Mile – 405 positive, 363 recovered, 37 active, five deaths; Bylas – 519 positive, 441 recovered, 77 active, one death; other areas – 129 positive, 110 recovered, 19 active.
Statewide
For the state, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported 2,030 new cases Wednesday to bring the total to 265,163 for the state. It reported 36 new deaths to bring the total fatalities due, at least in part, to COVID-19 to and amended 6,228 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 170,207, Pima County – 31,204, Yuma County – 14,843, Pinal County – 13,133, Navajo County – 6,929, Coconino County – 6,035, Mohave County – 4,876, Apache County – 4,241, Yavapai County – 3,407, Santa Cruz County – 3,187, Cochise County – 2,539, Gila County – 2,244, Graham County – 1,533, La Paz County – 665, Greenlee County – 120 (county reports 125).
