PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona’s known death toll from the coronavirus outbreak exceeded 6,000 on Tuesday as state officials reported that the state’s total of known COVID-19 cases was nearing 250,000.
The Department of Health Services reported 38 additional deaths and 1,679 additional cases, increasing Arizona’s totals to 6,020 deaths and 249,818 cases.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick.
COVID-19-related hospitalizations continued to inch upward, reaching 956 as of Monday, a level last reported in late August.
Arizona was a national COVID-19 hot spot in June and July. Infections and related hospitalizations declined before beginning to increase again in September.
Johns Hopkins University data analyzed by The Associated Press showed increases in Arizona in the past two weeks of rolling seven-day averages for daily new cases, daily deaths and COVID-19 testing positivity.
The rolling average of daily new cases rose from 835 on Oct. 19 to 1,311 on Monday while the rolling average of daily deaths rose from 10.1 to 15.3 and the positivity rolling average went from 8.9% to 11.8%.
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