With nearly 9,000 new cases reported today, the number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 627,000 as of Monday, Jan 11, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County, which reported 1,189 new cases today, has seen 83,386 of the state’s 627,541 confirmed cases.

A total of 10,147 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 1,263 deaths in Pima County, according to the Jan. 11 report.

The number of hospitalized COVID cases statewide continues to soar as the virus has begun to spread more rapidly, putting stress on Arizona’s hospitals and surpassing July peaks. ADHS reported that as of Jan. 10, 4,997 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, one fewer than the record 4,998 number who were in hospital beds on Saturday, Jan. 8. The summer peak of 3,517 hospitalized COVID patients was set on July 13; that number hit a subsequent low of 468 on Sept. 27, or less than a tenth of the current count.

A total of 2,054 people visited emergency rooms on Jan. 10 with COVID symptoms, down from the record high of 2,341 set on Tuesday, Dec. 29. That number had previously peaked at 2,008 on July 7; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28.

A record number of 1,158 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Jan. 10. The summer’s record number of patients in ICU beds was 970, set on July 13. The subsequent low was 114 on Sept. 22.

A website that tracks COVID infections across the globe reports that Arizona continues to have the highest rate of COVID infection in the world.

The website 91-divoc.com, which uses data from Johns Hopkins University, reports that Arizona is seeing a record 122 infections per 100,000 people on a seven-day average, compared to 74.2 infections per 100,000 for the United States as a whole.

Pressure on Pima County hospitals continues to rise. As of Friday, Jan. 8, a record number of 168 COVID patients were on ventilators, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all ventilators in use, according to the Pima County Health Department.

A total of 158 COVID patients were in ICU beds, accounting for 43% of ICU beds. Only 10 ICU beds were available in the county.

Only 95 medical/surgery beds were available in Pima County hospitals after 127 new patients were admitted to the hospital and 108 were discharged. A total of 51 COVID patients were waiting for inpatient beds Friday morning.

The death toll among COVID patients rose by 14, bringing the total since Jan. 1 to 126.

Pima County Attorney’s Office closed for sanitizing after staff outbreak

Pima County Attorney Laura Conover announced Sunday night that she was temporarily closing her Downtown offices after a COVID outbreak among her staff.

The Legal Services Building, 32 N. Stone Ave., will be closed Monday and Tuesday for cleaning and sanitizing while employees telecommute.

Conover has been feeling mild COVID symptoms and is awaiting test results, according to a news release.

Conover said the closure was necessary "to keep operations going and to make sure we don't hit that brick wall of not having enough healthy staff.”

Conover thanked employees who had alerted HR to their positive tests.

"You are helping us keep your colleagues safe," Conover said.

Get tested: Pima County has free COVID testing

Pima County offers a number of testing centers around town.

You’ll have a nasal swab test at the Kino Event Center (2805 E. Ajo Way) the Udall Center (7200 E. Tanque Verde Road) and downtown (88 E. Broadway).

The center at the northside Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road, involves a saliva test designed by ASU.

In addition, the Pima County Health Department, Pima Community College and Arizona State University have partnered to create new drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites at three Pima Community College locations. At the drive-thru sites, COVID-19 testing will be offered through spit samples instead of nasal canal swabs. Each site will conduct testing from 9 a.m. to noon, and registration is required in advance. Only patients 5 years or older can be tested.

Schedule an appointment at these or other pop-up sites at pima.gov/covid19testing.

The University of Arizona’s antibody testing has been opened to all Arizonans as the state attempts to get a handle on how many people have been exposed to COVID-19 but were asymptomatic or otherwise did not get a test while they were ill. To sign up for testing, visit https://covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu/home.

—with additional reporting from Austin Counts, Jeff Gardner, Nicole Ludden and Mike Truelsen