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Arizona reported 705 new COVID-19 cases and 24 new known deaths Thursday as hospital metrics for the disease remain relatively stable, although with an uptick in hospitalized patients since Sunday. 

Identified cases rose to 219,212 and known deaths are at 5,674, according to the daily report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. 

The number of patients hospitalized statewide for known or suspected COVID-19 was at 620 on Wednesday, continuing an uptick from 560 inpatients on Tuesday, 540 on Monday and 468 on Sunday.  Inpatient numbers look to be possibly plateauing and now increasing slightly, but more time is needed to point to a trend. During the peak of Arizona’s surge in July, the number of hospitalized patients suspected or confirmed to have the virus exceeded 3,000.

The number of patients with suspected or known COVID-19 in intensive care units across Arizona was at 122 on Wednesday, continuing an almost two week-long plateau at that level. The level is also far below what it was in July, when ICU beds in use for COVID-19 reached 970.

The number of Arizonans with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 on ventilators was at 54 on Wednesday. The metric has hovered around that level for about a week and a half. In mid-July, as many as 687 patients across the state with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 were on ventilators. 

The Department of Health Services has begun including as probable cases anyone with a positive antigen test, another type of test to determine current infection. Antigen tests (not related to antibody tests) are a newer type of COVID-19 diagnostic test that use a nasal swab or other fluid sample to test for current infection. Results are typically produced within 15 minutes. 

A positive antigen test result is considered very accurate, but there’s an increased chance of false-negative results, the Mayo Clinic says. Depending on the situation, Mayo Clinic officials say a doctor may recommend a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to confirm a negative antigen test result. 

Thursday’s dashboard shows 81% of inpatient beds and 78% of ICU beds in use, which includes people being treated for COVID-19 and other patients. COVID-19 patients were using 9% of all inpatient beds and 7% of ICU beds. Overall, 23% of ventilators were in use.

The number of weekly tests conducted dropped significantly in July and into August, after which it has remained flatter with some fluctuation.

Of known test results from the past four weeks, 4% have come back positive, according to the state, which has a unique way of calculating percent positivity.

Johns Hopkins University calculates Arizona’s seven-day moving average of percent positives at 6.2% and shows it has generally trended downward in recent weeks but has reached a plateau.

A positivity rate of 5% is considered a good benchmark that the spread of the disease is under control.

Here’s what you need to know about Thursday’s new numbers: 

Reported cases in Arizona: 219,212

Cases increased by 705, or 0.32%, from Wednesday’s 218,507 identified cases since the outbreak began.

Cases by county: 142,287 in Maricopa, 25,706 in Pima, 12,765 in Yuma, 10,672 in Pinal, 5,802 in Navajo, 4,198 in Coconino, 4,017 in Mohave, 3,569 in Apache, 2,857 in Santa Cruz, 2,583 in Yavapai, 1,912 in Cochise, 1,372 in Gila, 868 in Graham, 545 in La Paz and 59 in Greenlee, according to state numbers.

The rate of cases per 100,000 people is highest in Yuma County, followed by Santa Cruz, Navajo and Apache counties. The rate in Yuma County is 5,551 cases per 100,000 people. By comparison, the U.S. average rate is 2,166 cases per 100,000 people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Navajo Nation reported 10,355 cases and 556 confirmed deaths as of Wednesday. The Navajo Nation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

The Arizona Department of Corrections said 2,587 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Wednesday, including 976 in Tucson; 40,049 inmates statewide have been tested; and 10 total test results are pending in the state prison system. A total of 705 prison staff members have self-reported testing positive, the state corrections department said. Seventeen incarcerated people in Arizona have been confirmed to have died of COVID-19, with 11 additional deaths under investigation. 

While race/ethnicity is unknown for 31% of cases statewide, 31% of cases are Hispanic or Latino, 25% are white, 6% are Native American, 3% are Black and 1% are Asian/Pacific Islander.

Laboratories have completed 1,471,368 diagnostic tests for COVID-19, 11.1% of which have come back positive. That number now includes both PCR and antigen testing. The percentage of positive tests had increased since mid-May but began decreasing in July and for the past four weeks has been at 4%. The state numbers leave out data from labs that do not report electronically.

Arizona as of Wednesday had one of the highest overall rates of COVID-19 infection in the country — fifth behind Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and Alabama. Arizona’s infection rate is 3,042 cases per 100,000 people, the CDC says. The national average is 2,166 cases per 100,000 people, though the rates in states hard-hit early on in the pandemic may be an undercount due to a lack of available testing in March and April.

Reported deaths: 5,674 known deaths

On Thursday, 24 new known deaths were reported.

County deaths: 3,405 in Maricopa, 622 in Pima, 346 in Yuma, 236 in Navajo, 227 in Mohave, 210 in Pinal, 165 in Apache, 144 in Coconino, 84 in Yavapai, 73 in Cochise, 63 in Santa Cruz, 57 in Gila, 25 in Graham, 15 in La Paz and fewer than three in Greenlee.

People aged 65 and older made up 4,032 of the 5,674 deaths, or 71%.

While race/ethnicity is unknown for 11% of deaths, 42% of those who died were white, 30% were Hispanic or Latino, 11% were Native American, 3% were Black and 1% were Asian/Pacific Islander, the state data show.

The global death toll on Thursday was 1,015,107 and the U.S. has the highest death count of any country in the world, at 207,008. Arizona’s death total of 5,674 deaths represents 2.7% of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. as of Thursday.

The COVID-19 death rate in Arizona was 78 per 100,000 people as of Wednesday, according to the CDC, putting it 10th in the country in a state ranking that separates New York City and New York state. The U.S. average is 62 deaths per 100,000 people, the CDC says.

Behind New York City, at 283 deaths per 100,000 people, the CDC placed the highest death rates ahead of Arizona as New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Mississippi, the District of Columbia and New York state.

Republic reporter Stephanie Innes contributed to this article.

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or at 602-444-4282. Follow her on Twitter @alisteinbach.

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