Safford woman’s death attributed to COVID-19

By Jon Johnson

SAFFORD – A Safford woman has reportedly died from COVID-19.

The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services reported the death Monday morning. The woman was between the ages of 55-64. The death makes the 26^th victim in Graham County to die attributed to COVID-19.

The health department also reported 10 new positive results for COVID-19 on Monday, with four from Pima and two each from Thatcher, Safford, and the San Carlos Apache Reservation.

The new results lifted Graham County’s total to 895 for the course of the pandemic.

Lowering the number of cases is required for shuttered businesses to reopen from Governor Doug Ducey’s executive order mandate. As of the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) most recent metrics, Graham County has a current total positivity rate of 9.3 percent.

While the latest release from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) shows Graham County has met all three benchmarks for school reopening – which is only a recommendation – the numbers are two weeks behind and do not include the most recent increases. The business reopening metrics, which are required, are currently in the yellow or “moderate” level, which allows for the reopening of most previously shuttered businesses. However, those metrics could possibly change for the worse in the coming weeks.

Jon Johnson File Photo: The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services recommends wearing masks in public to help reduce the chance of catching COVID-19. Here, Pamela Evans shows off some of the masks she has made and donated to the health department.

As of Monday, the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services reports 895 total confirmed cases, with 723 recovered and 146 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.

A total of 26 people, mostly all over the age of 65 and who had pre-existing health conditions, have died with COVID-19 in Graham County.

According to the state’s database, Graham County’s positive test cases include 181 who are under 20 years of age, 382 between 20-44, 100 between 45-54, 91 between 55-64, and 140 who are 65 years old or older.

Greenlee County

As of Sunday, the Greenlee County Health Department has administered tests to 1,301 people, with 1,226 being negative, 60 positives, and 15 results pending. The county has two active cases, 56 recovered cases, and two deaths. Greenlee County has about 10,000 residents.

The breakdown of the Greenlee cases includes three under the age of 20, 35 between 20-44, 11 between 45-54, seven between 55-64, and four who are 65 years old or older. Greenlee County currently has a total positivity rate of 3.8 percent, according to the 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 Monday, the San Carlos Apache Tribe Department of Health & Human Services reported eight new cases. To date, the Tribe has administered tests to 8,119 people with 6,891 negatives, 1,138 positives, and 90 results pending.

The Tribe lists 123 currently active cases, with 1,003 recovered cases, and 12 deaths.

The area breakdown on the reservation includes Gilson Wash – 171 positive, 144 recovered, 23 active, four deaths; Peridot – 359 positive, 313 recovered, 39 active, seven deaths; 7-Mile – 241 positive, 198 recovered, 42 active, one death; Bylas – 290 positive, 276 recovered, 14 active; other areas – 77 positive, 72 recovered, five active.

Statewide

For the state, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported 316 new cases Monday to bring the total to 221,070 for the state. It reported just one new death (Safford) to bring the total fatalities due, at least in part, to COVID-19 to and amended 5,707 in Arizona. The state has about 7.3 million residents.

Reported positive cases in the various counties include Maricopa County with 143,411, Pima County – 25,980, Yuma County – 12,815, Pinal County – 10,746, Navajo County – 5,817, Coconino County – 4,291, Mohave County – 4,050, Apache County – 3,581, Santa Cruz County – 2,889, Yavapai County – 2,617, Cochise County – 1,919, Gila County – 1,451, Graham County – 895, La Paz County – 548, Greenlee County – 60.