Three new COVID-19 positive tests in Graham County not related to latest cluster

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

SAFFORD – The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that three new positive tests for COVID-19 have been reported. The three new positives are under investigation and are not part of the most recent cluster, which has taken two elderly lives with underlying health conditions.

According to the Health Department, one of the new cases lives in unincorporated Graham County and the other two are San Carlos Apache tribal members. All known close contacts to the new positives have been put on quarantine.

The Health Department added that while the Arizona Department of Health Services will show Graham County with a total of 41 cases on Wednesday, two of the cases have been reconciled and the county actually has had only 39 positive tests. Out of those tests, all of the patients prior to the most recent cluster and the new three positives have fully recovered.

Ages of all of the positive tests are eight under the age of 20, four between 21-34 years old, 17 between 35-60 years old, and 10 who are 65 years old or older.

Graham County has tested 579 patients and currently has eight tests pending lab results.

Greenlee County

Greenlee didn’t show any change from Monday and still shows a total of 8 positive tests with five active cases, two fully recovered, and one death.

San Carlos Apache Tribe

According to the San Carlos Apache Tribe Department of Health & Human Services, as of Monday, the tribe has tested 455 members with five positives and 75 tests pending. Those quarantined on the reservation have been placed at the Apache Gold resort.