Arizona reports 3,621 additional COVID cases, nears 1M mark

COVID-19 hospitalizations on the rise amid new surge in cases

Medical experts say they are seeing younger people being taken to the hospital due to COVID-19. FOX 10's Irene Snyder reports.

PHOENIX - Arizona on Thursday reported 3,621 additional COVID-19 cases and 13 more deaths as the state’s pandemic total number of infections neared the 1 million mark.

The state’s pandemic totals rose to 998,164 cases and 18,661 deaths, according to the Department of Health Service’s coronavirus dashboard.

MORE: Coronavirus in Arizona: Latest case numbers

Nationally, Arizona ranks 13th among U.S. states and territories in total COVID-19 cases and 10th in cases per 100,000 pf population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Arizona’s seven-day rolling average of daily new cases rose over the past two weeks from 2,450.00 on Aug. 10 to 2,626.29 on Tuesday while the rolling average of daily deaths rose from 16.7 to 19.1 during the same period, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

LIST: Mask or no mask? Which retailers and restaurants are requiring face coverings

In another development, approximately 350 city of Tucson employees could face unpaid five-day suspensions for not complying with the city’s recently enacted COVID-19 vaccination mandate for its workforce, local media outlets reported.

Nearly 550 additional city employees requested religious of medical exemptions by Tuesday’s deadline.

The city’s employee vaccination data shows 830 full-time and 70 part-time employees are unvaccinated — about 21% of the total workforce, the Arizona Daily Star reported.

The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report

Ducey names interim AZDHS director, senior public health advisor

Governor Doug Ducey on Aug. 26 named Don Herrington as the interim director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. Herrington will replace Dr. Cara Christ who is leaving the state health department on Friday to become the chief medical officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.

Herrington has been with AZDHS for 21 years and serves as the department's deputy director for planning and operations.

Ducey also announced he and Herrington have named Dr. Richard Carmona as the senior advisor on public health emergency preparedness. Carmona is a Tucson resident and was the 17th Surgeon General of the United States.

"Arizona couldn’t have two more dedicated, knowledgeable and experienced public health professionals at the helm of the Department of Health Services," Ducey said in a statement. "With Don directing day-to-day operations and Dr. Carmona marshalling our resources to defeat this virus and get Arizonans vaccinated, I’m confident we just got a lot closer to putting the pandemic behind us."

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.