Arizona reports highest daily COVID-19 cases since March

Arizona on Friday reported its highest daily COVID-19 case count since March, as the contagious delta variant drives up numbers across the country.

The Arizona Department of Health reported 1,965 new coronavirus cases on Friday along with 24 deaths. Hospitalizations have also ticked up, with 1,072 coronavirus patients in hospital beds on Thursday.

That’s the most hospitalizations due to known or suspected COVID-19 since early March, while Friday’s case numbers were the highest daily figures since March 5, The Arizona Republic reported.

Today’s #COVID19 dashboard update adds 1,965 cases and 24 deaths. Vaccines are highly effective at preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19. If you haven’t already done so, find a location and get vaccinated. https://t.co/hGbuqCOUuW pic.twitter.com/jT3dojso5w

— AZ Dept of Health (@AZDHS) July 30, 2021

Arizona has 47 percent of its population fully vaccinated from the virus during this surge in cases caused by the delta variant, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. 

The rise in cases is affecting states across the country as companies and governors begin to reimplement mask mandates, including for the fully vaccinated, to slow the spread of the virus. 

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is one of the GOP governors who has rejected the new guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for fully vaccinated individuals to wear masks.

“Arizona does not allow mask mandates, vaccine mandates, vaccine passports or discrimination in schools based on who is or isn’t vaccinated. We’ve passed all of this into law, and it will not change,” Ducey tweeted when the updated CDC guidance was released earlier this week.

Arizona does not allow mask mandates, vaccine mandates, vaccine passports or discrimination in schools based on who is or isn’t vaccinated. We’ve passed all of this into law, and it will not change.

See my statement on the updated CDC guidance: https://t.co/YubNffZpq5

— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) July 27, 2021