By Mark Carlisle
Twitter: @mwcarlisle

Maricopa County again topped its worst day in new coronavirus cases since the summer Thursday, with 1,220 new COVID-19 cases, the most since July 24. The county also reported nine new virus deaths Thursday.

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health had not reported 700 cases in a day since July, the end of the county’s summer surge in cases. The county reported 772 cases Oct. 23 and has since topped that fall record three times. Thursday was the second time in six days the county topped 1,000 cases and fifth time in 12 days it topped 900 cases. The prior case high in the county this fall was 1,064 cases on Oct. 31.

The county is undergoing its largest surge in cases since the summer, with seven-day daily average of cases at 887 Thursday, 3.8 times what it was on Oct. 1, at 236 cases.

Thursday was the first time in seven days the county’s seven-day daily average of cases did not rise. Instead, it stayed flat at 13. The last week has shown the largest rise in the county’s death numbers in over a month. Virus deaths are a lagging indicator — that is, it generally takes those who die from COVID-19 a few weeks for people to sicken and die from the virus. The county’s recent death numbers indicate the county’s surge in cases over the past month-plus are finally beginning to result in more deaths. The seven-day daily average of deaths jumped from five to 13 in six days, from Thursday, Oct. 29 to Wednesday. The last time that figure increased that quickly was mid-September. At the peak of the county’s summer spike, it averaged 60 deaths a day over a seven-day period.

During the county’s summer spike, cases reached reached 3,825 cases in a day on June 29. The county is experiencing another surge, but case numbers in recent days, with Thursday’s high of 1,220 cases, still does not reach a third of the high during the summer’s peak, but the current surge shows no signs yet over slowing down. The county’s seven-day daily average of new cases was 193 on Friday, Sept. 11 and increased to 765 by Sunday, Nov. 1, the most recent day of complete data.

Hospitalizations are increasing as well, rising more than three-fold, from an average of 12 a day to 40 between Sept. 18 and Oct. 26.

Mark Carlisle
Associate Editor | Phoenix
@mwcarlisle

mcarlisle@iniusa.org

Meet Mark

Mark Carlisle joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2017, covering Glendale. He has since moved to the Daily Independent team, primarily covering the city of Phoenix along with other topics affecting the Valley at-large.

Community: Mark enjoys taking his young son to BabyTime at the Phoenix Public Library, to the OdySea Aquarium and to various sporting events around the Valley.

Education: Chapman University with a BA in English Journalism and one in Screenwriting.

Random Fact: Mark worked at a tuxedo shop in college. Just don’t ask him to tie a bowtie.

 

Hobbies: Spending time with his wife, son and dog, watching sports and TV shows, listening to audiobooks and occasionally writing fiction or designing a board game.