Coronavirus Deaths Now at 150 as Infections Top 4,200 in Arizona

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona health officials say eight new deaths have been attributed to the coronavirus outbreak, bringing the statewide death toll to 150 people.

The updated Health Services Department numbers released Thursday show the state now has 4,234 confirmed cases of COVID-19. That’s an increase of 272 cases in one day and up more than 1,100 from just a week ago.

Public health officials in Arizona’s largest county said they’re seeing improvements in the number of people hospitalized for the coronavirus. 

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health said the rate of growth in hospitalizations is slowing. Officials said Wednesday that’s likely due to the social distancing measures that have closed businesses and left people avoiding large gatherings. 

The Navajo Nation that spans parts of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico has a large cluster of cases. It counted 931 in the three states with 38 deaths as of Wednesday. Nearly 600 of the cases were in Arizona portions of the sprawling reservation.

Tribal officials have extended their weekend lockdowns preventing people from leaving their homes, except in emergencies, on the vast expanse of land that has been harder hit by the coronavirus than any other Native American reservation in the U.S. 

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.