With 1,338 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases closed in on 800,000 as of Monday, Feb. 15, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County, which reported 246 new cases today, has seen 107,058 of the state’s 798,608 confirmed cases.

A total of 14,978 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 2,075 deaths in Pima County, according to the Feb. 15 report.

The number of hospitalized COVID cases statewide has declined in recent weeks, with 2,119 coronavirus patients in the hospital as of Feb. 14. That’s fewer than half the number who were hospitalized at the peak of the winter surge, which reached 5,082 on Jan. 11. The summer peak was 3,517, which was set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent lowest number of hospitalized COVID patients was 468, set on Sept. 27, 2020.

A total of 1,208 people visited emergency rooms on Feb. 14 with COVID symptoms, down from the record high of 2,341 set on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. That number had peaked during the summer wave at 2,008 on July 7, 2020; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28, 2020.

A total of 644 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Feb. 14, down from a peak of 1,183 set on Jan. 11. The summer’s record number of patients in ICU beds was 970, set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent low was 114 on Sept. 22, 2020.

How to get a vaccine

Currently, Pima County is providing vaccination shots to people 70 and older as well as educators, first responders and healthcare workers. Those who currently qualify in Pima County’s 1B priority group of eligible vaccine recipients can register for a vaccine at www.pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration or by calling 520-222-0119.

A state-run vaccination site opening at the University of Arizona will begin appointments on Feb. 18. The new site will follow the state’s current vaccine eligibility, which includes those 65 and older, educators, childcare workers and protective service workers, according to Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ.

As the state-run POD, or point of distribution, registrations will go through ADHS’s website. Appointments will begin on Feb. 18, and registration will open at 9 a.m. on Feb 16. Online registration will be available atpodvaccine.azdhs.gov, and those who need assistance can call 1-844-542-8201.

More details here.

Limited supply forces reduction in vaccine appointments

Despite a widening population of eligible vaccine recipients and the addition of a state-run POD at the University of Arizona set to open on Thursday, Pima County’s vaccine allocation from the state has been cut yet again.

Two weeks ago, the county's vaccine supply was decreased to 17,850—a 40% deduction from the previous week. Last week, the doses were cut down by 9% for a total allotment of 16,300.

According to a memo from County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, the truncated allocation has limited the county’s ability to give first-time doses—many for those 70 and older who became eligible last week—and delayed plans for vaccinations in vulnerable congregate settings.

The county’s accelerated immunization plan calls for 300,000 vaccines by the end of March, a goal the health department was previously ahead of. Now, county health Director Dr. Theresa Cullen said the plan will come to a “near halt” within weeks if the county doesn’t receive more doses.

According to Cullen, more than 100,000 residents need a second dose to be considered fully immunized over the next three to four weeks.

“We believe we can protect second-dose appointments with the current allotment, but if supplies remain this tight, it will be difficult for the public to schedule new first-dose appointments in the coming weeks,” Cullen said. “We need to follow through on our promise to them, so that means first dose appointments will be limited for a while, which really slows down our Accelerated Plan, unfortunately.”

Dr. Francisco Garcia, the county’s chief medical officer, said the limited vaccine supply will likely result in reduced hours at the county’s current vaccination sites, but the health department is working with its vaccination partners to avoid canceling existing vaccine appointments.

Reduction in hours and vaccine supply at Pima County’s PODs

The Tucson Convention Center is reducing its vaccination hours one hour a day, operating 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m., while the Tucson Medical Center is only providing first-dose appointments to those 75 and older, according to a press release from the county.

The two Banner sites are consolidating their operations on March 4, so both the Banner North and Banner South sites will operate at the Kino Sports Complex. Resultantly, Banner North has stopped making new appointments.

Other vaccination sites at community health centers will also curtail vaccinations and will focus on delivering second doses only.

Cullen is hopeful that a national increase in vaccine supply and the potential for the approval of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which will go before the FDA for emergency use authorization on Feb. 26.

“We are getting reports daily that vaccine production is being ramped up nationally and increased supply is on the way. Plus, the approval of a new single-dose vaccine is imminent,” Cullen said. “So I expect these difficulties will be short-term and we’ll be able to rev-up our Accelerated Plan soon and get people protected from this terrible disease.”

Numbers improving in Pima County

Pima County hospitals are seeing a decrease in COVID patients.

For the first time this year, Pima County’s tracking metric for adequate hospital bed space has moved last week from the “not met” category to the “progress” category.

As a result of the drop in cases, Pima County’s timely case investigation category has also moved from the “not met” column to the “progress” column, according to a press release from the county.

County officials caution that the total number of cases and percent of COVID tests that come back positive still remain high.

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