Data from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) shows that the majority of COVID-19 cases in the state are among younger people.
According to recent numbers from ADHS, people in the 20 to 44 year age bracket continue to lead the way with 459,585 total cases as of September 13. People under 20 years of age made up the second highest total at 192,597 total cases.
These numbers have fluctuated over time in the state. According to ADHS, September 7 saw the highest number of new cases for the state (3,719 new cases) since the high count of 4,007 new cases on Aug. 16. It’s also the second largest increase since a significant drop in new cases after the start of this year.
Some areas, such as Mohave County, are seeing rising numbers of COVID-19 cases among younger people.
Denise Burley, director of the Mojave County Department of Public Health, said in an article for The Miner:
“The largest percentage of cases in August came from the 11-19 age group, which contributed 17.1% of cases, followed by the 30-39 age group at 14%.”
According to ADHS, the 20 to 34 and 35 to 44 age groups have vaccination rates of 53.1% and 61.4% respectively. Both, however, are under the vaccination percentages of older age groups.
Encouraging vaccinations is something that officials have been buckling down on as case numbers surge.
In a Sept. 10 press release, the Biden administration announced new vaccination requirements for businesses with more than 100 employees in an attempt to combat the virus.
The release states:
“President Biden dramatically expanded the reach of vaccination requirements, requiring — through a rule OSHA is developing — that all businesses with 100 or more employees ensure every worker is either fully vaccinated or gets tested at least one time a week; requiring all workers in most healthcare settings that receive Medicaid or Medicare to be fully vaccinated; requiring all federal executive branch employees and all employees of federal contractors to be fully vaccinated; and requiring all Head Start educators and teachers and staff of all federally run schools to be fully vaccinated.”
Officials in Arizona have criticized the President’s vaccine requirements.
Governor Doug Ducey said in a statement:
“President Biden claims that his vaccine mandate is an attempt at battling the COVID-19 pandemic, but instead it’s the latest action by an administration that seems hellbent on undermining confidence in the vaccine at every turn.”
He characterized the President’s actions as being particularly harmful to private businesses.
Ducey said:
“COVID-19 is a contagious disease, it is still with us and it will be for the foreseeable future. President Biden’s solution is hammering down on private businesses and individual freedoms in an unprecedented and dangerous way…”
“The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective tools to prevent the disease, but getting the vaccine is and should be a choice.”