With the Omicron variant spreading rapidly, Arizona has seen more COVID-19 cases in the past week than any other week of the pandemic. Alongside this increase, we’ve seen more people seeking care in hospital emergency rooms and more people seeking COVID-19 testing. Both of these are challenging in their own right. But one avoidable problem [...]
As is the case around the country, Arizona is seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases amid the spread of the extraordinarily contagious Omicron variant. The COVID-19 Cases by Day graph on the ADHS COVID-19 Dashboard shows a surge beginning two days after Christmas, with more than 7,000 cases and even 8,000-plus cases on days for [...]
Since the start of the pandemic, more than 15.5 million diagnostic tests have allowed Arizonans to learn whether they have COVID-19 and take action to protect themselves and others. Testing has come a long way in Arizona, both in terms of capacity and options. COVID-19 tests are available to everyone, including the uninsured, at low [...]
The importance of influencers can’t be overstated when it comes to encouraging people to protect themselves from COVID-19. That’s why we were so pleased to share on our social media accounts word that former President Donald Trump says he received his booster dose. The other living former presidents have encouraged vaccination, and President Joe Biden [...]
In a public health emergency, as with any other battle, it’s critical to have the best, most accurate information. That’s why ADHS has invested considerable staff time and resources during the pandemic to gathering, synthesizing, and presenting data critical to understanding what COVID-19 is up to. Having this data allows public health professionals, healthcare providers, [...]
From the time most people were children, parents and teachers stressed the importance of washing our hands. In the nearly two years since COVID-19 appeared, health officials around the world have repeated the same good advice. As we recognize National Handwashing Awareness Week, with holiday gatherings underway and COVID-19 still very active in Arizona, removing [...]
This week, hospital medical leaders and I joined Dr. Richard Carmona, the 17th U.S. Surgeon General and special adviser to Governor Ducey on public health emergency preparedness, to share ways we can work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Arizona. Hospitals are stretched thin dealing with seriously ill unvaccinated patients, while attending to [...]
Any death from COVID-19 is one too many. As public health professionals and public servants, we want Arizonans to have the information they need to protect themselves, including the facts on COVID-19’s death toll. One of our core functions at ADHS is providing data and systematic analysis, based on generally accepted standards for accuracy and [...]
With the welcome addition of 5- to 11-year-olds to those eligible to receive the safe, free, and highly effective COVID-19 vaccination, starting today you’ll see a short-term decrease in the “Percent of eligible people vaccinated” metric on our Vaccine Administration dashboard. Previously, this number was calculated by dividing the number of people who have received [...]
As ADHS and our partners work to educate people about the importance of COVID-19 vaccination, we are often emphasizing that the vaccine is recommended for everyone 12 and older, including those who have had a previous COVID-19 infection. A new CDC report published last week demonstrates the importance of getting your COVID-19 vaccine, even if [...]
