Arizona reports record number of new coronavirus cases, deaths

Coronavirus cases in Arizona continue to skyrocket, and the state set another new record for daily cases on Wednesday with 4,878 new cases reported.

The state also reported a new high of 88 new deaths on Wednesday.

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, the state has reported a total of 84,092 cases and 1,720 deaths.

The previous single-day high was set on June 24, when Arizona registered 4,682 cases and 79 deaths. 

Local news station KTAR reported that the previous record was inflated due to older data not being factored into official state reports, and then being included on June 24.

Wednesday’s numbers, however, did not come with the same disclaimer, and come amid increased concerns about rising numbers in Arizona and other states.

BREAKING: RECORD number of cases and deaths in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/wlQtssO6Hm

— Nicole Grigg (@NicoleSGrigg) July 1, 2020

On Monday, Gov. Doug Ducey (R) began reversing the state’s reopening plans, shuttering bars, night clubs and gyms for at least another month. He also pushed back on the start of K-12 schools for at least two weeks.

Ducey said that cases would continue to rise over the next several weeks, as new cases are growing faster than current testing rates.

On Tuesday, ICU bed usage reached a high of 89 percent according to the most recent state data, with 187 available beds.

Vice President Pence is slated to return to Arizona on Wednesday to meet with Ducey amid the surge of COVID-19 cases, one week after President Trump visited for a rally for a group of thousands of young supporters.

Pence, who leads the White House coronavirus task force, will be accompanied by Deborah Birx, the task force’s coordinator, and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf.