Twelve cases come from the reservation, while six are from the recent testing blitz
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services reported 22 new positive tests for COVID-19 on Tuesday, with 12 of those coming from the San Carlos Apache Reservation and six from the recent testing blitz held Saturday.
The new results lifted Graham County’s total to 843 for the course of the pandemic. Out of the new cases, four come from Safford, three from Thatcher, three from Pima, and 12 from the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
Lowering the number of cases is required for businesses to reopen from Governor Doug Ducey’s executive order mandate. As of the Arizona Department of Health Services’ most recent metrics, Graham County has a positivity rate of 5.5 percent.
As of Tuesday, the Graham County Department of Health and Human Services reports 843 total confirmed cases, with 671 recovered and 147 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 25 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 159 who are under 20 years of age, 362 between 20-44, 96 between 45-54, 89 between 55-64, and 136 who are 65 years old or older.
Greenlee County
After going a month-and-a-half without any new cases, the Greenlee County Health Department reported a new positive COVID-19 test last week.
As of Monday, the Greenlee County Health Department has administered tests to 1,263 people, with 1,195 being negative, 59 positives, and nine results pending. The county has one active case, 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, 10 between 45-54, seven between 55-64, and four who are 65 years old or older.
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 Tuesday, the San Carlos Apache Tribe Department of Health & Human Services reported 26 new cases. To date, the Tribe has administered tests to 7,573 people with 6,400 negatives, 1,054 positives, and 119 results pending.
The Tribe lists 119 currently active cases, with 924 recovered cases, and 11 deaths.
The area breakdown on the reservation includes Gilson Wash – 154 positive, 128 recovered, 22 active, four deaths; Peridot – 330 positive, 289 recovered, 35 active, six deaths; 7-Mile – 218 positive, 173 recovered, 44 active, one death; Bylas – 277 positive, 264 recovered, 13 active; other areas – 75 positive, 70 recovered, five active.
Statewide
For the state, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported 675 new cases Tuesday to bring the total to 218,184 for the state. It reported just eight new deaths to bring the total fatalities due, at least in part, to COVID-19 to and amended 5,632in Arizona. The state has about 7.3 million residents.
Reported positive cases in the various counties include Maricopa County with 141,738, Pima County – 25,569, Yuma County – 12,723, Pinal County – 10,627, Navajo County – 5,783, Coconino County – 4,133, Mohave County – 3,997, Apache County – 3,528, Santa Cruz County – 2,848, Yavapai County – 2,558, Cochise County – 1,905, Gila County – 1,328, Graham County – 843, La Paz County – 545, Greenlee County – 59.
