County has 128 active cases, with 41 recovered patients
By Jon Johnson
jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com
SAFFORD – The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services announced 20 new COVID-19 positive tests Monday night, bringing the county’s total to 172 since the start of the pandemic.
The new positives include 11 from Thatcher, five from Safford, three from Pima, and one from Central. All known close contacts have been notified and placed on quarantine, according to the health department.
According to Ryan Rapier, Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center Director of Public Relations and Marketing, MGRMC is currently treating two patients who have been hospitalized for COVID-19, one of them being in critical condition.
Graham County is now following the trend of most of the rest of the state’s counties with a swift increase in cases. There have been 80 new cases in Graham County in the past eight days, and Graham County Health Director Brian Douglas advises that the trend will likely continue with daily double-digit increases for the next couple of weeks.
“We have to strengthen our efforts to slow the spread of the virus,” Douglas said. “It’s more important than ever to wear face coverings in public, social distancing by six feet, washing hands frequently, and staying home.”
Graham County, which has a population of about 39,000, has administered 1,812 tests for COVID-19, with 1,640 of those tests being negative. Out of the 172 positive tests, 41 patients have recovered, with 128 active cases and three deaths.
