Eight tests still pending
By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM COUNTY – The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services is reporting no new positive tests for COVID-19 since Sunday’s addition.
Currently, there are a total of 20 positive tests out of 317 taken during the course of the pandemic, with eight tests still pending.
The most recent positive tests were announced Sunday, May 3. The ages of all 20 cases in Graham County since the start of the pandemic are five under the age of 20, eight who are between the ages of 35-55, and seven who are 65 or older.
Also on Sunday, the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center confirmed that it had a hospitalized patient who had tested positive for the virus. The patient was the first local hospitalization with COVID-19. As of Thursday morning, there has been no update released by the hospital regarding the patient.
While the Arizona Department of Health Services state database lists Graham County at 19 cases, the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services corroborate the actual number is 20 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic. The first two cases out of Pima in early March have long been fully recovered.
As of Thursday, the state’s numbers list 9,945 total cases, with 450 deaths, and include Maricopa County with 5,196, Pima County – 1,465, Navajo County – 912, Apache County – 630, Coconino County – 618, Pinal County – 530, Mohave County – 158, Yavapai County 152, Yuma County – 148, Cochise County – 40, Santa Cruz County – 38, La Paz County – 20, Graham County – 19 (actually 20), Gila County – 17, and Greenlee County – 2. Greenlee County’s two cases have also long been fully recovered.
The state’s figures report a population fatality rate of 6.26 per 100,000 people, or .006 percent. That is the overall number, not just those who contract the virus. For those who contract the virus, the death rate is highest for those with pre-existing conditions, including obesity, and the elderly – who are more likely to have a pre-existing condition.
Reopening Phase 1
On Monday, Governor Doug Ducey held a news conference and announced salons and barbershops would be allowed to reopen Friday, May 8, as well as full reopening of retail shopping with strict physical distancing practices and CDC guidelines. He also advised that restaurants will be allowed to open for dine-in services starting Monday, May 11, with likewise caveats.
“It will be a gradual and phased-in process,” Ducey said. “We’re going to balance public health, and we’re going to prioritize public health while planning to return stronger as a state over the course of time. We’re going to increase testing to return while maintaining strong physical distancing . . . Then we’re going to return based on the recommendations by the CDC and health experts through May and June.”
