Arizona reports 3,470 additional COVID cases, 26 more deaths

Arizona Gov. to allocate $60M to hospitals that offer COVID-19 vaccines, antibody treatments

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey says hospitals will receive part of a $60 million allocation if they offer the COVID-19 vaccine to discharged patients as well as a monoclonal antibody treatment. The money can be used to help with a dire staffing shortage across the state.

PHOENIX - Arizona on Sept. 2 reported 3,470 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases and 26 more deaths as virus-related hospitalizations and other pandemic metrics continued to climb during the current surge.

New data reported on the state’s coronavirus dashboard increased the state’s pandemic totals to 1,020,133 cases and 18,879 deaths.

The number of virus-related hospitalizations ranged between 1,900 and 2,000 for about a week before climbing again, reaching 2,057 as of Tuesday and 2,070 on Wednesday, according to the dashboard.

MORE: Coronavirus in Arizona: Latest case numbers

Meanwhile, the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases rose over the past two weeks from 2,875 on Aug. 17 to 3,622 on Tuesday while the average of daily deaths rose from 14 to 36 during the same period, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

The recent numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths were last seen earlier this year as the winter surge wound down but remain are far below that surge’s peaks last January.

Banner Health, the state’s largest hospital chain, said Tuesday it faces a nursing shortage and that hundreds of travel nurses and respiratory therapists were being trained weekly.

MORE: Find COVID-19 vaccine locations in your area

In order to protect yourself from a possible infection, the CDC recommends:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
Monitor your health daily

Symptoms for coronavirus COVID-19 include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. These, of course, are similar to the common cold and flu.

Expect a common cold to start out with a sore or scratchy throat, cough, runny and/or stuffy nose. Flu symptoms are more intense and usually come on suddenly, and can include a high fever.

Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear more slowly. They usually include fever, a dry cough and noticeable shortness of breath, according to the World Health Organization. A minority of cases develop pneumonia, and the disease is especially worrisome for the elderly and those with other medical problems such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes or heart conditions.

To protect yourself, wash your hands well and often, keep them away from your face, and avoid crowds and standing close to people.

And if you do find yourself showing any of these flu or coronavirus symptoms - don't go straight to your doctor's office. That just risks making more people sick, officials urge. Call ahead, and ask if you need to be seen and where.