Arizona expected to be “one of the hardest-hit regions in the world.”
PHOENIX – A Harvard University epidemiologist as been crunching the numbers of COVID-19 cases since this pandemic began. Now, he’s taking a harder look at the rise in cases in Arizona.
Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding says Arizona holds new records for cases, positivity percentages, hospitalizations and ICU beds in use.
“Arizona is the currently the worst off,” Feigl-Ding said, adding, “In terms of a per capita basis, on a 7-day average, Arizona has 212 cases per million population and Arizona ranks number one.”
On Twitter Tuesday night, he posted a number of graphs showing COVID-19 cases in Arizona, sparking a conversation about the state’s residents and leaders.
Sad day: ARIZONA has crossed the rubicon… its epidemic now exceeds Brazil and Peru to be one of the hardest hit regions in the world. Exceeding all European countries as well.
Today: Record cases, record positivity %, record ER, record hospitalizations, record ICU. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/czTCaSeOJ4
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) June 17, 2020
Coronavirus: California sets a record number of cases amid reopening
California registered a record 4,165 new coronavirus cases Wednesday amid the state’s allowance to reopen local economies in several counties.
Most recent data surpassed the previous single-day high of 3,802 new cases reported on June 12, and brings the state’s total to 163,211 cases. With 80 new deaths recorded, 5,279 people have died in California due to COVID-19.
Since the beginning of the month, several Bay Area counties have allowed operations to resume for outdoor dining, salons and other businesses despite growing concern that the state has failed to contain the first wave of the pandemic.
In Marin, cases spiked since the beginning of June, likely a result of the recent outbreak at San Quentin State Prison, where the number of inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 rose from 26 on June 10 to 47 on June 17. Cases in the county rose from a seven-day average of 12 new cases at the start of the month to 23, as of Wednesday.