By Mark Carlisle
Twitter: @mwcarlisle

For the second day in a row Friday, Maricopa County topped its worst day in new coronavirus cases since the summer. The 1,410 new COVID-19 cases reported Friday are the most since July 20. The county also reported 24 new virus deaths Friday, signaling the most rapid rise in the county’s death rate since early July, just before the worst of the summer spike.

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 two weeks later has crossed double the 700 case threshold. Friday’s 1,410 cases are the fourth time since Oct. 23 the county has topped its own worst day in new case numbers this fall. Thursday had been the worst day at 1,220 cases and Saturday, Oct. 31 had been the worst before that, at 1,064 cases.

The county is undergoing its largest surge in cases since the summer, with seven-day daily average of cases at 951 Friday, more than four times what it was on Oct. 1, at 236 cases.

Friday was the third time in seven days the county saw 24 deaths or more. 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 15 in eight days, from Thursday, Oct. 29 to Friday. The last time that figure increased that quickly was in early July, just before the county’s death totals reached their peak, 60 deaths a day over a seven-day period, before declining again.

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 Friday’s high of 1,410 cases, just crossed a third of the worst day in the summer. 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 882 by Tuesday, Nov. 3, the most recent day of complete data.

Hospitalizations are increasing as well, rising from an seven-day average of 12 a day to 42 between Sept. 18 and Oct. 27.

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.