As state COVID-19 cases surge to the highest reported level since February 2022, the latest community COVID-19 levels update from the CDC has classified 10 of Arizona’s 15 counties, including Maricopa, with high COVID-19 community levels. The community level framework considers weekly new reported cases per 100,000, weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000, and the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.
According to data compiled by Stacker, 58.3% of the population in Maricopa County is fully vaccinated, which is 6.7% lower than the statewide vaccination rate. Maricopa also experiences a 2.4% higher case rate per 100,000 residents than the state as a whole, and 7.1% less deaths.
According to experts, this significant increase in cases can be attributed to the highly-transmissible omicron subvariant BA.5, which is now responsible for an estimated 60% of new cases in the state.
“Most of the counties at high community levels this week saw 10 or more new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 residents combined with 200 or more cases per 100,000 residents,” Interim Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) Don Herrington said in a blog post last week. “Because of their smaller populations and more limited health care capacities, rural counties will tend to see more frequent swings in their community levels.”
As of today, according to Covid ActNow, 209.9 new positive cases are reported weekly per 100,000 residents in Arizona. Weekly COVID-19 hospital admissions are at 12.6 per 100,000, and patients with COVID-19 currently represent 5.4% of all hospital beds in the state. As of last week, the positivity rate was 29%.
Since last week, 18,135 new cases and 66 new deaths have been reported in the state. However, officials note that the number of actual new cases is most likely higher due to unreported positive cases that are detected via at-home testing.
The other counties included in the CDC’s most recent classification include Apache, Coconino, Gila, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, Yavapai, and Yuma. Many of these counties have lower vaccination rates and higher death rates relative to the state as a whole.
Currently, the percentage of the state population fully vaccinated is 62.5%. According to Stacker, Mohave County has the lowest vaccination rate of all counties in the state, with only 42.3% of the population fully vaccinated. This vaccination rate is 32.3% lower than the state as a whole. Mohave County also experiences 65.8% more deaths and 3.5% less cases per 100,000 residents than the state as a whole.
Yavapai County has a vaccination rate of 47.7%, which is 23.7% lower than the statewide vaccination rate. Yavapai also currently experiences 25.4% more deaths and 25.9% less cases per 100,000 than the state.
La Paz County has a vaccination rate of 49.2%, which is 21.3% lower than the statewide vaccination rate. La Paz experiences 63.2% more deaths and 12.5% less cases per 100,000 than the state.
Pinal County has a vaccination rate of 54.8%, which is 12.3% lower than the statewide vaccination rate. Pinal experiences 13.5% less deaths and 1.9% more cases per 100,000 than the state.
In Gila County, 60.1% of the population is fully vaccinated, which is 3.8% lower than the state. Gila also experiences 70.1% more deaths and 13.4% more cases per 100,000 than the state.
In Yuma County, 71.6% of the population is fully vaccinated, which is 14.6% higher than the state. Yuma experiences 31.8% more deaths per 100,000 than the state, and 0.9% more cases.
Coconino County has a vaccination rate of 78.8%, which is 26.1% higher than the state. Coconino experiences 20.4% less deaths, but 11.2% more cases per 100,000 than the state.
Navajo County has a 79.3% vaccination rate, which is 26.9% higher than the state. Navajo also experiences 96.2% more deaths and 24.8% more cases per 100,000 than the state.
Apache County has the highest vaccination rate of all counties in the state—95%, which is 52% higher than the statewide vaccination rate. Apache also experiences 104.3% more deaths and 31.7% more cases per 100,000 than the state as a whole.